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Workers at the Portvale Sugar Factory, represented by the Unity Workers’ Union, will remain on strike until further notice as a dispute over union representation deepens.
General Secretary Caswell Franklyn made the position clear despite a March 18 response from Barbados Energy and Sugar Company Inc. (BESCO) to correspondence dated July 26, 2025 and January 16, 2026, requesting that the U.W.U be recognised as the bargaining agent for factory workers.
In a letter signed by General Manager Marlon Munroe, the company stated that it has already recognised a bargaining agent for the relevant categories of workers. It added that collective bargaining negotiations had begun before Mr Franklyn’s correspondence and are now at an advanced stage.
BESCO said it is therefore not in a position to engage in parallel recognition or negotiations with another union for the same group of employees.
However, Mr Franklyn has rejected the company’s position, insisting that the majority of Portvale workers are members of his union. He also accused the company, established in January 2024, of selecting another union to represent workers.
The union is also raising concerns about working conditions, particularly proposed shift systems. Mr Franklyn said workers could be required to work eight-hour shifts, averaging 56 hours per week.
When contacted by CBC, the other union representing sugar factory workers declined to comment.
