7:01 AM May 11, 1993

BANANA UNIONS DEMAND IMPROVED PLANTATION CONDITIONS

San Jose, May 10 (ips) - Banana labour representatives from Central America and Colombia denounced the deterioration of working conditions on plantations in the region.

Union representatives meeting in San Jose from May 8-9 called on the European Community (EC) to condition any changes in quota systems on improvements in labour conditions.

The banana union leaders complained that the current conflict over quotas is primarily part of a power struggle between US and EC transnational companies, with little concern for Latin American workers.

"The abandonment of plantations, massive firings and constant threats are the arms that TNCs use to keep us working," Costa Rican labour leader Jose Velazques said.

Beginning July 1, the EC will institute a new annual quota of 2 million metric tonnes for Latin American bananas -- some 500,000 tonnes below current import levels. These bananas will be taxed at 20 percent. All bananas imported above this quota will be taxed 170 percent.

Latin American producers expect to lose some $833 millions a year, and may have to abandon 33,600 hectares under cultivation and fire nearly 173,000 workers, according to industry estimates.

(The Latin American banana exporting countries are due to bring up and seek a GATT adjudication panel at the meeting of the GATT Council on Wednesday on the new EC-wide regime. A previous complaint of theirs, relating to the current regime, was referred to a panel under the accelerated procedures applicable to developing countries.

(That panel has completed its work and has submitted its report, but this will be published after the meeting ends, and thus will not figure at this week's meeting and must await the meeting in June)

(The banana issue has become a very heated and bitter dispute in the GATT between the Latin American producers and EC, with ACP countries who benefit from the Lome accord seeking to preserve their status quo.)

Velasquez said that if the EC granted the quotas to the producers and not the middlemen, much of the conflict would be dissipated.

Colombian labour representative Osvaldo Olivo said that the crisis had been exacerbated by Latin American governments under pressure from the TNCs, as there has always been some form of quota system.

"The problem is the middlemen, who have been aggravated by the oversupply generated in some Latin American countries," Olivo said.

The labour leaders even feel that the current situation could be beneficial for the banana workers, if the EC conditions its quotas on improving the living and working conditions on the plantations.

"Just in Costa Rica, they estimate that 2,000 banana workers have been left sterile, and perhaps an equal number will develop cancer or other illnesses" from unprotected use of prohibited pesticides, Velazques said.

The union representatives have asked that the capital generated by the EC taxes be invested in improving social conditions and diversifying cultivations in banana producing zones.

In addition, the union leaders called for support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations in examining and evaluating the environmental problems caused by banana cultivation.