After Two-Month Strike, Seven Sugar Refineries Resume Operations in Colombia

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--After nearly two months of being out of production, seven Colombian sugar refineries resumed operations last week. The entries to the plants had been blocked on September 15 by sugarcane cutters who were protesting low salaries and bad working conditions. The Castilla, Manuelita, Incauca, Mayaguez, Providencia, Pichichi, Central Tumaco and Maria Luisa sugar refineries were forced to cease production. For more details, view related September 22, 2008, news article - Strike Forces Colombian Sugar Refineries to Stop Production.

The conflict escalated during the first few weeks, involving politics and economic losses in the states of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, where the plants are located. From November 1 to 12, agreements were reached between workers and employers at all the sugar refineries except for Maria Luisa, which continues to be under a blockade. The strike affected the Food & Beverage, Pulp & Paper and fuel industries, causing product shortages and price increases. For more details, view related October 15, 2008, news article - One-Month Strike Affects Food, Paper and Fuel Industries in Colombia.

The Cauca river valley is an area in western Colombia that is considered one of the most productive zones in the world in terms of sugarcane agriculture because of its altitude, soil, access to sunlight and climate conditions. It hosts 10 sugar refineries, the largest in the country, that provide most of the sugar and ethanol consumed in Colombia.

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