'We need more time': Irish fruit giant Fyffes is in crunch talks over worker abuse claims
Workers at a melon plantation in Honduras allege they are being mistreated.
A TRADING BODY has extended its suspension of Fyffes’ membership, as the Irish fruit giant is locked in talks with unions about claims of worker abuse.
In May, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) – a UK state-funded organisation promoting workers’ rights that counts Fyffes as a member – voted to suspend the fruit company.
This was on foot of a complaint from several food unions, which alleged that workers employed by Fyffes at one of its melon plantations in Honduras were being mistreated in several ways, such as not being paid the minimum wage.
The ETI found that the complaint was “substantive in the way it evidenced poor treatment of workers in Fyffes’ Suragroh melon plantation”.
Yesterday, the ETI voted to extend this suspension to allow the company and unions time to hammer out a deal.
When Fyffes was first suspended on 8 May, the ETI said that it would have 90 days to hammer out an agreement with the unions or face expulsion.
Such a move would prove highly embarrassing and troubling for Fyffes, which emphasises the importance of good worker and community relations on its website, and firms doing business with the company.
Delays
Following on from its 90-day deadline, the ETI was due to make a decision on the expulsion in early August. However, this was pushed back to September “in part to acknowledge that the European summer vacation period has introduced delays”.
The ETI has now delayed a final decision again. In its statement, it said that “a process of dialogue is now underway” between Fyffes and the unions.
“While the board recognised this as a constructive step forward, they also considered it too early to say whether the move will address ETI’s concerns about conditions for workers in Honduras,” it said.
“The board therefore decided to maintain Fyffes’ suspension for the time being and asked ETI’s secretariat to continue monitoring developments. The board will review this position at their next meeting in November.”
A spokeswoman for the ETI said that a final decision was delayed “because although discussions have been opened and are constructive, there is not enough progress to say that the problem is sorted”.
“It is about being fair to Fyffes. A great first step has been made, but more has to be done,” she said.
“There has been enough movement to convince us that the company and unions are addressing the issues constructively and are looking for outcomes that benefit workers. We need more time.”
As previously examined by Fora, the probe into abuse claims at the Suragroh plantation has run on for more than a year after dozens of workers made a slew of serious allegations.
Last year Fyffes was taken over by a Japanese company de-listed from the Irish Stock Exchange. Despite this, Fyffes still has Dublin as its head office and retains a strong Irish presence.
