Word to 7NEWS is that tomorrow Cabinet will decide whether it should increase the price of flour. And if it does go through, that is likely to drive up the price of bread. How much a sack of flour will now cost we are not sure but popular southside baker Zebedee Pitterson says no matter what his price of bread will not increase by fifty cents to two dollars – which is the increase being asked for by the Belize Bakers Association. Today Pitterson also told 7NEWS that he believes because he does not agree with the union’s increase he is being treated unfairly.
According to Pitterson when his son went to buy a hundred sacks of flour today he was told that he could only buy at eighty five dollars a sack and not at the special price of sixty one dollars that was given to members of the Bakers Association. Now Pitterson has had his differences with the bakers, but he says this is unconstitutional.
Zebedee Pitterson,
“The problem is that because he is not in the union, he has to check with the fellow in San Pedro.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Ok but so because he is not a union member, he could not purchase the hundred sacks of flour at that special price?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Yes, that’s why.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But he could have purchased the sacks of flour for how much?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“$85 according to what my son told me. That is unconstitutional. You have to be in a union to get flour? Bakers are bakers. My son took out his trade license as a bakery.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you’re saying whether or not you’re a union member, you should be given this opportunity of buying flour at the special price, whether you’re a union member or not?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Because we are selling the bread at the same price. The bread is selling at $1.50 for everybody.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So why you think they are giving you Zebedee Pitterson such a hard time?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Well because they want to raise the bread to $2 and I don’t agree with it. That is all I could I say and that is not fair. I agreed with the union first to help but I won’t be with nobody who crushes poor people.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Were you ever a member of the Bakers Union?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Up until when it first started and we had unions up and down and they go and do something else, go and give their bread to Chinese men and all of that and I don’t agree with that. So the union always sets up and break up.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So what will happen to your business right now where bread supply is concerned because your son got the 75 sacks but what happened to the extra 100?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Well if the flour is going up tomorrow or whatsoever, I hope it goes up across the board so all of us have to sell for one price instead of having two different prices.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And what price that should be?
Zebedee Pitterson,
“Well if they want 85, 85. If it is 61, it is 61 for the bakers and I believe in that. I believe in fairness all around. And if the bakers want to raise, if they want to go to $2, let them go. We will figure out how far it can go to but they can’t come dictate and tell you that you have to sell at that price. Nobody can’t dictate. If I want to give it away, I can give it away.”
Zebedee Pitterson while he cannot say for certain just how much he will increase his price of bread if the cost of flour does go up, Pitterson says one thing consumers can be sure of and that is it will not cost them two dollars.
