US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO483

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000483 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR -- MSEIBEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PHUM, PGOV, NS 
SUBJECT: SURINAMESE BANANA LABOR UNION SEEKS REREFENDUM TO 
REPRESENT WORKERS FROM STATE-OWNED BANANA COMPANY 
 
REF: PARAMARIBO 196 
 
1.  IN A JUNE 15 ARTICLE IN LOCAL DAILY "DAGBLAD SURINAME," 
JARIKABA BANANA WORKERS UNION (JWB) SECRETARY STUART 
    CODRINGTON ANNOUNCED THAT THE UNION HAD FILED A REQUEST 
WITH THE GOVERNMENT MEDIATION COUNCIL (BR) TO HOLD A 
REFERENDUM AMONG WORKERS IN SURINAME'S REVIVED BANANA 
SECTOR.  HE DECLARED THAT THE UNION REPRESENTS ALL BANANA 
SECTOR WORKERS AND THAT CURRENT LABOR LAWS SUPPORT THE 
UNION'S INITIATIVE.  HE EXPLAINED THAT THE UNION HAD 
REPEATEDLY REQUESTED MEETINGS WITH THE FOUNDATION FOR 
PRESERVATION OF THE BANANA SECTOR (SBBS), THE COMPANY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR REHIRING WORKERS AT SURLAND (SURINAME'S 
PUBLICLY OWNED BANANA COMPANY), AFTER IT HAD RECEIVED 
REPORTS FROM WORKERS ABOUT THEIR POOR WORKING CONDITIONS AS 
WELL AS REQUESTS FOR UNION REPRESENTATION.  CODRINGTON ALSO 
ACCUSED THE SBBS BOARD OF VIOLATING THE RIGHT OF 
ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY, WHICH IS VESTED IN THE COUNTRY'S 
CONSTITUTION.  FAILURE TO MEET WITH THE MEDIATION COUNCIL, 
HE WARNED, MIGHT FORCE WORKERS TO STRIKE. 
 
2.  SURLAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SBBS CHAIR ANDRE BRAHIM 
DISMISSED JARIKABA'S POSTURE IN A SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION 
WITH THE EMBASSY.   HE EMPHASIZED THE EFFORTS THAT HAD BEEN 
MADE TO RESTART SURLAND AFTER THE GOVERNMENT WAS FORCED TO 
CEASE OPERATIONS IN APRIL 2002 DUE TO MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS 
LABOR PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM STRIKES OVER BONUSES AND 
CREDITED HIS FOUNDATION AND THE EUROPEAN UNION'S FINANCIAL 
ASSISTANCE FOR REJUVENATING SURLAND.  BRAHIM COUNTERED 
CODRINGTON'S COMMENTS BY NOTING THAT, TO DATE, THE SBBS 
BOARD HAD NOT RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM THE WORKERS ABOUT 
THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS.  HE DISCOUNTED THE NEED FOR A 
UNION SINCE THE WORKERS DO NOT HAVE REGULAR JOBS -- SBBS IS 
OFFERING WORKERS THREE-MONTH CONTRACTS -- AND SHRUGGED OFF 
MEETINGS WITH THE MEDIATION COUNCIL GIVEN THE ABSENCE OF 
    CONFLICT WITH WORKERS.  BRAHIM ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT 
LABOR TROUBLES MIGHT SCARE OFF POTENTIAL INVESTORS WANTING 
TO BUY SURLAND. 
 
3.  COMMENT.  SURLAND HAS WEATHERED A LONG LIST OF PROBLEMS 
-- POOR MANAGEMENT, CRIPPLING LABOR STRIKES, POLITICAL 
INFIGHTING, OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY, AND HUGE DEBTS (SEE 
REFTEL) -- AND IS NOW BACK ON TRACK IN THE BANANA EXPORT 
BUSINESS.  HOWEVER, TALK OF DISCONTENT AMONG SURLAND'S 
REHIRED BANANA WORKERS AND JARIKABA'S ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH 
A UNION AT THIS TIME COULD POTENTIALLY DISSUADE INVESTORS 
FROM BUYING THE COMPANY, THEREBY THREATEN SURINAME'S LARGE- 
SCALE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND ITS FIRST SHOT AT 
PRIVATIZATION.  FORTUNATELY FOR SURINAME, SURLAND'S WORKERS 
HAVE NOT MADE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO SUPPORT JARIKABA'S CLAIMS 
OF POOR WORKING CONDITIONS.  MOREOVER, BASED ON OUR 
CONVERSATION WITH MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT IS CONFIDENT THAT 
SURLAND'S LABOR FORCE HAS LEARNED ITS LESSONS FROM THE PAST 
AND IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SURLAND THRIVE.  GIVEN THIS 
BACKDROP, JARIKABA'S POSTURING MAY BE A PLOY TO RECLAIM 
SOME OF ITS INFLUENCE AMONG SURLAND'S WORKFORCE.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
BARNES 
 
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