Just when the dust of labor disputes between BSI's management and its workers seemed to have settled another impending one seems to be arising. 7NEWS has confirmed that come October 1st 90 hourly paid factory workers at the Belize Sugar Industries Limited will be sent home.
In a phone interview today with the Secretary of the Belize Workers Union Julio Gongora he told us that they have received a letter of intention drafted by BSI's management. The letter serves the union as a warning that 90 workers of BSI representing 25% of the labor force will be cut back. The letter states that a "last in-first out" method of cutback will be applied. This means that the more recent workers are first to be fired.
Gongora says that BSI's reasoning for the cutback is to streamline the cost of production where they will be saving some $1.2 million in labor costs. The union however is against the cutback and has decided to counter the proposal of retrenchment by presenting alternatives to the firing of the workers. They propose to have workers go on voluntary redundancy as well as look at the always sticking point of what the union deems a top heavy BSI. The union says that cutbacks can be made on the large expenses as a result of highly paid managers who enjoy luxurious benefits. While BSI has given their position to the union the union will counter the proposed retrenchment in a meeting next week Monday. This while BSI's management plans to hold meetings with the workers to inform them of the situation today and tomorrow.