The president of the Panamanian banana producing co-operative Coosemupar, Gutiérrez, has labelled the union Sitrachilco as “irresponsible”.
The union convened a general member assembly at which occasion it was decided to set an ultimatum to the government to strike a deal with Chiquita.
The union’s actions have cost Coosemupar dearly, as all working operations were paralysed for the meeting. Coosemupar quantifies the losses at more than $200,000 as the existent financial crisis is only deepened.
According to Gutíerrez, Coosemupar was fined $75,000 for failing to deliver the containers that had already been reserved, as on February 17 25,000 boxes of bananas could not be loaded.
Banana traders apply a punitive $3 per non-delivered box in their contracts, which in this case numbered 25,000 boxes.
Combined with the losses of fruit which could not be packed the total losses amount to approximately $200,000.
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