Fyffes, an Irish multinational company, is one of the largest banana companies in the world. The Fyffes group has undergone almost exponential growth, thanks to a profitable run between 1993 and 1998, coinciding with an advantageous EU single market banana regime. The company has no collective agreements with trade unions either in Ireland or in any of the countries in which it operates. In Belize, the only country where Fyffes directly owns and manages plantations, persistent allegations of favouring Costa Rican-style solidarismo and of presiding over some of the worst conditions in the region have dogged the company.

Fyffes stated in 1998 that it would recognise the independent United Banners Banana Workers' Union as representing workers on the plantations which they manage in Belize, if the union could show a majority of support amongst the workers on any one plantation. The company has also said that it will cooperate with an independent monitoring team during any future workers' ballot. In Guatemala, the Fyffes/Bolaños joint venture had an unenviable record for workers' rights in general, union rights in particular, and paid some of the lowest wages in Central America. Fyffes sold their 50% stake to Dole in 1997. Fyffes has a major 50:50 joint venture with the Windward Island Banana Exporting Company, WIBDECO, to market Eastern Caribbean bananas onto the British market. The joint venture bought out the British-based company Geest Bananas in 1995, which had enjoyed a monopoly over Windward Island trade since the 1950s. However, the viability of Windward Island bananas is under serious threat from Chiquita-driven efforts to get rid of the EU banana import regime.

Fyffes in Belize

Fyffes is the exclusive buyer of all the bananas exported from Belize. In 2001 Fyffes joined with government officials, plantation owners and civil society organizations in Belize to agree a partnership approach to the future of the industry.

Since then the efforts of the workers Fyffes have a Code of Practice which forms part of their contract with plantation owners. This, in theory, guarantees workers' rights, particularly freedom of association. However, in reality Fyffe's have not insisted that plantation owners respect the workers' human rights, which means that the Code of Practice has made no difference on the ground. The workers who grow Fyffes bananas continue to live in a climate of fear, denied their basic rights.to organize a trade union have been thwarted by intimidation and firings on farms in Belize. A number of cases for unfair dismissal were brought to court but have yet to be heard almost two years later. Most of the workers are immigrants and, as such, especially vulnerable. Four union activists were arbitrarily deported before it was pointed out they were actually Belizean citizens. Some observers believe that the government is slow to implement its own worker protection laws, fearing Fyffe's will take their business elsewhere, leaving the small country's economy in ruins.

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