Citrus workers strike in La Democracia
We’d all like a couple more dollars on our paychecks every month, but this morning, employees of one company gave their boss an ultimatum…”No raise, no work.” Employees of Hummingbird Citrus Limited say they’re working long hours in deplorable conditions and making very little money. The company’s manager says the workers actually got a pay INCREASE and that some employees were bullied into going on strike. News Five was in the heat of the strike in La Democracia today.
Bertran Faux, Manager
“The reason nobody worked…there are a number of people who were going to work today but I was to understand that they were threatened.”
Gilbert Myers, Citrus Worker
“By who Mr. Faux? Cause this is what we want to understand right now. Who threatened who Mr. Faux? Yes, you understand they were threatened. Who tell you that people get threatened out here? See everybody here…Ladies and gentlemen you get threatened in any way?”
Citrus Workers
“No. No. No. Nobody threaten. Free will.”
Glibert Myers
“Anbody get threatened in any way? This is what I will ask, I want to know cause nobody get threaten. We know that he could do better Miss so we will just strike till we get a result.”
Janelle Chanona
So Mr. Faux, what happens now since the workers say they can’t accept those conditions?
Bertran Faux
“I have done my best. I went in and I fought for them at the beginning of the crop. We are now paying sixty cents to reap during the regular time that we normally reap. Last year we paid fifty cents. As soon as the conditions improve a bit at the factory and we, our cash flow condition improve, we could look at probably giving them the normal situation. I explained that to them this morning, I don’t know what else they want.”
Citrus Worker #1
“I know that when we were in there, I was threatened, that whenever I go in Democracia that I will be beaten.”
Janelle Chanona
Why?
Citrus Worker #1
“Because if anybody get fired you understand. I no will say no lie. The reason why I called the police on Thursday and last fortnight was because of the same reason, because I had to secure myself. It could only be words but I don’t know, it could be truth but once threaten words are coming out, I have to watch myself because I don’t know what they can do.”
Citrus Worker #2
“The captain is saying we threaten him, we never threaten nobody. The only thing we tell them is nobody go to work this morning because enough is enough. We never fire no words of threat, So I could tell the captain to his face, cap, you the tell lie.”
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Today, over one hundred and twenty workers of Hummingbird Citrus Limited II sat on the company compound and refused to work. They have a list of complaints.
Tanisha Clarke, Citrus Worker
“Down here you no have no first aid, nothing. They have lot a insect and thing and different things, we could get bite and every other thing. They no have no transport, to say if somebody get sick to take them out and they no have, the bushes where you work, they over your head. When you go through fertilizer sometimes, you can’t even see your partner in front you, a lot a things Ms. Chanona.”
Gilbert Myers, Citrus Worker
“The amount of work you have to do for the lee bit of what they the pay you. We feel that no right. We feel like we rights the get violate.”
Janelle Chanona
You all considering that citrus prices are down?
Gilbert Myers
Yeah, yeah. We know all this. We know all this. We aware of all this but we know they could do better.
Bertran Faux
“I meet with my foreman, I met with them this morning, I have met with them regularly. And this is not the first time I am meeting with them. I have met with them every season, all the time.”
Janelle Chanona
Are you against them forming a union?
Bertran Faux
“I cannot say what they are willing to do, that is up to them and I cannot make any comment on that at this point. As far as I am concerned, they have stopped working, we haven’t stopped them from working, we have done the best we could and if we can’t reach a common ground whereby they are willing to work under such conditions then I can’t do anything else. I can’t force them to work.”
Janelle Chanona
Are you going to replace them?
Bertran Faux
“I can’t say that at this point, I don’t know how long they are prepared to sit down out here and wait.”
Aurelio Naj
“I no fraid for nothing. I no fraid to lose my job. Because I am a hard working man and I no fraid to lose my job. I could find a next job. I no fraid for that.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
The workers we spoke to today say they are prepared to strike for at least a week.