Yesterday, October 12, 2006, the president of Dole Fresh Flowers announced that the company will be firing over 3,500 workers; that Dole will close operations at Splendor el Corzo, its largest plantation, as well as the Porcelain Flowers plant and Dole’s plantations in Ecuador. Not only will Dole be reducing its workforce on the floor, but it will also be cutting jobs in both administration and sales. John Amaya, president of Dole Food, claims that international competition has caused prices to fall and demands an increase in production of Dole’s products.
Untraflores strongly believes that Dole’s recent decisions will result in further exploitation of workers at the remaining Dole plantations in La Sábana de Bogotá, and will put increased pressure on the engineers and administrative personnel. Dole’s decision to close these plantations reflects the multinational’s strategy of increasing its profits at the expense of the well-being of its labor force; John Amaya openly admitted that leaving these thousands of workers without employment and food will increase Dole’s profits by US $35 million per year. The more than 2,000 operators and 1,500 plant officials soon to be fired will leave operations in the hands of the remaining workers, who will have excessive and impossible quotas to fill. With such demonstrated voracity, it’s not surprising that Dole violates so many laws and creates such conflicts in order to impede the successful implementation of organized labor.
Untraflores firmly denounces Dole’s most recent action, which represents the most blatant abuse in its long history of exploitation. Our union demands that the plantations El Corzo and Porcelain remain in operation, and that job security is guaranteed to all employees of these plants. Untraflores calls on all workers, engineers, and office personnel to resist any attempt by Dole to close these factories; to continue working and keep up to date on the positions of Untraflores and Sintrasplendor in order to stand firm against this new affront by the multinational corporation.
National Union of Flower Workers, Untraflores
Aidé Silva Mateus Esperanza Cerero Alipio
President General Secretary
Beatriz Fuentes Pérez
President, Sintrasplendor
October 13, 2006