ORGANISING a boycott of Fyffes bananas will be one of the measures considered by AFrI, the aid group which is supporting a demand that the Irish owned fruit company recognise trade unions on their farms in Central America.
Backing for the workers' demands, including better housing, pay and conditions, has been growing in Ireland, AFrI says. A network of aid agencies, known as "Banana Watch", is monitoring the situation in the region, as is the Irish Fair Trade Association.
AFrI says support for goods produced in a way which respects the environment and the civil rights of the producers is growing internationally. Sales in Ireland of goods such as coffee, where the growers are assured of a larger percentage of the profit, are increasing.
Fyffes supplies a large part of the Irish and British banana market from a number of countries. It markets the entire banana production of the tiny country of Belize in Central America, having rescued the industry from near bankruptcy some years ago. Of the 22 farms, it owns one, manages two others and has an interest in another three involving a total of about 250 workers.
A spokeswoman for Fyffes said there were clear procedures under Belize law for union recognition and Fyffes would abide by them.
The issue was being dealt with by the Belize Labour Commissioner, in accordance with international labour guidelines, who had indicated he would call for a poll on representation rights when he was satisfied 40 per cent or more of the workers had indicated their support for the union.
The spokeswoman said Fyffes' interests in Belize were an 80 per cent stake in one farm and management of two others. The company became involved in 1991 at the request of the government and the banana growers. Since then, she added, the company had been involved in developing a housing project for workers with electricity, running water, a school, shops and recreation facilities.
It was also funding a five year child immunisation programme against hepatitis B in southern Belize.
According to Mr Joe Murray of AFrI, the issue was first highlighted here last May when the president of the banana workers union in Belize, Ms Marciana Funez, visited Ireland. She has been working for union recognition, better housing and health and welfare measures for those working on the banana plantations.
Fyffes has recently built a number of houses for its workers who had been living in poor conditions, many under banana trees where they had been subject to chemical sprays and where their water had been contaminated.
"Marciana's demand that the trade union be recognised has been stoutly resisted by Fyffes. Meetings have been cancelled and attempts to get conciliation talks under way have been aborted," Mr Murray said. The Fyffes spokeswoman said the company never cancelled a meeting with Ms Funez.
It is insisting she produce a list of 40 per cent of the workers who want the union recognised before it will allow her to conduct a poll of workers who would vote for the same objective.
"Fyffes are better payers than many of the other companies but for some reason they are holding out against the trade union," Mr Murray added.
The Irish groups say they have had discussions with Fyffes about the situation but they have not been making much progress. "If down the line Fyffes are seen to be adopting a kind of strategy of delaying decisions and action, people will begin to look at other measures, such as a boycott of bananas," said Mr Murray.
There was a strong consumer consciousness in Ireland, as was seen during the Dunnes workers boycott of South African produce, and a lot of Irish people were concerned about world issues, he added.