It is not far-fetched to speculate that the mandate from the farmers may include agitation of some form, leading up to industrial action. The industry is volatile, the labour intensive, and the farmers passionate about the lifeblood of the north. At the start of the last crop, BSI gave an undertaking in good faith to complete negotiations on a payment for bagasse by the end of the crop. For its part, the B.S.C.F.A. gave its undertaking, in good faith, to participate fully in those negotiations and not to resort to industrial action. The crop came, and the crop went, and those good faith intentions went with it. Today Vice-Chairman for the B.S.C.F.A.’s Committee of management told News Five that there is only so much that the farmers can take, and whatever happens will rest on the head of B.S.I.
Alfredo Ortega, Vice-Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.
“We have tried in all times on keeping the peace that we demonstrate that we have professional capacity in negotiating with them in benefit of the farmers. But the time is coming that the attitude that they are demonstrating now is really cornering the farmers to do things that will be harmful because they are looking forward in negotiating in good fate for the farmers to be getting benefit and payment for their material. So we need them to understand that as leaders we have been working with farmers in maintaining the peace, but there might be a time that our voices may not be heard by our farmers and other things can happen. So it is very important for them and for us, and mostly for them, because they are demonstrating that they are wolves and that they want to eat us up. They will be hurting our farmers in the way they are behaving. So they should be placed, if any action that is being taken that would be harmful to the industry, they are the ones that are to be blamed for the actions they are doing.”
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