The cooperative running the Portvale Sugar Factory has dismissed the Unity Workers’ Union’s position that the mill should be treated as a “shop”, calling the claim “legally flawed” and warning it would place an unsustainable financial burden on the business.
In a paid advertisement issued on Tuesday, the Barbados Energy and Sugar Company Inc. (BESCO) said: “The UWU has publicly contended that Portvale should be treated as a ‘shop’ under legislation intended for shops, stores, and retail businesses. Industrial relations specialists who have reviewed the legislation consider this position to be incorrect.”
BESCO maintained that the factory operates within an industrial framework, not a retail one, and said its shift system aligns with appropriate standards.
“Portvale is an industrial manufacturing facility, not a retail establishment, and our scheduling approach is aligned with the appropriate health and safety and workplace framework for factory operations,” the company said.
The response comes as tensions persist between management and the UWU over union recognition and working conditions, a dispute that has already led to strike action and disrupted operations at the island’s only operable sugar plant. Earlier this month, workers engaged in a days-long work stoppage that halted harvesting of canes islandwide.
The conflict escalated after the UWU, led by Caswell Franklyn, sought recognition as the bargaining agent for workers, while BESCO maintained it had already recognised another union, the BWU.
The UWU claims it has the majority of workers under its banner — 50 plus — while BESCO insisted that the UWU only had 38 workers. The UWU has also raised concerns about proposed shift systems and working hours, arguing they could breach labour standards, and insists it represents the majority of employees.
But BESCO said current arrangements were agreed under existing contracts and include additional compensation through shift premiums.
“Under the current arrangements, a special shift premium applies: 15 per cent extra on the basic hourly rate during the 40-hour week and 25 per cent extra during the 16 hours on weekends,” the company said, adding that work beyond a 56-hour week is paid at time and a half.
It noted that workers had previously been severed during restructuring and privatisation of the industry, receiving substantial severance packages, and that many were later rehired under the current system.
Addressing the union’s demands, BESCO warned that proposed changes to overtime payments, particularly if the factory were treated as a retail operation, would place unsustainable pressure on the business.
“The UWU’s demands… are excessive, and financially unsustainable.”
Despite the ongoing dispute, BESCO signalled its willingness to continue discussions, stating it remained “ready to meet in good faith with the duly recognised bargaining agent and all relevant parties”.
“We ask all stakeholders to keep the focus on outcomes that protect workers’ livelihoods and the long-term future of sugar manufacturing in Barbados,” the company added.
(SZB)
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