The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has announced today that they have terminated the membership of Fyffes, as a result of the company’s failure to respect the ETI Base Code, an internationally recognised set of labour standards based on ILO Conventions.
Fyffes was initially suspended by the ETI following formal complaints, made under ETI’s complaints procedure, by Banana Link and the International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) in March 2016. These concerned the treatment of workers at Fyffes’ subsidiary in Honduras – Suragroh – in particular the failure to respect the right of workers to join an independent trade union.
Banana Link had hoped that the mediations, at the behest of ETI, would have brought a successful resolution to the dispute. We are hugely disappointed that this mediation has not proved successful, and that ETI have been left with no option but to terminate Fyffes’ membership of the ETI.
Banana Link will continue to press Fyffes to respect labour rights throughout their global supply chains and will continue, in solidarity with the independent trade union, Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Agroindustria y Similares (STAS), to ask that Fyffes adhere to the agreement they signed on 11 January 2019 to reinstate sacked union members and collectively bargain with STAS for better wages and conditions.
We would also encourage customers of Fyffes to encourage the company to adhere to the agreement they signed with STAS.
Banana LInk
25 March 2019
