Will BSI and BSCFA kiss and make up anytime soon?

Will the Belize Sugar Industries Limited (BSI) and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) kiss and make up anytime soon? The Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai, who is a member of the BSCFA, says he doesn’t believe they will. The interim agreement signed between the parties comes to an end this weekend, and a new agreement is needed for the upcoming sugar crop. The parties have been at odds for almost two years and are yet to agree on the terms set out by BSCFA to sign a collective bargaining agreement. Minister Mai explained that his ministry will be meeting with the BSCFA tomorrow and are working to establish a commission of inquiry that will investigate the matter. 

Hon. Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise: “No, certainly not. We are supposed to be meeting with BSCFA either tomorrow or day after to restart the process for the commission of inquiry. As you recall Cabinet approved that the commission of inquiry be carried out and so we need to work on that. It was delayed before because they had the Fair Trade problem and then we had the import regulation problem and so one thing leads to another but Cabinet’s position stands that we must continue carry on and prepared for the Commission of Inquiry which we will do.”