CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – St. Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC) Monday said it had received an interim injunction from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court preventing the termination of a banana supply contract by the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (WIBDECO).

 

The contract was due to be terminated on March 31, but SLBC said the court ruling would remain in effect until the matter is resolved.

 

SLBC said that as a result of the development, termination notices served to more than 50 employees have been withdrawn and the company would continue selling bananas to WIBDECO.

 

The corporation had earlier this month warned that it would take legal action if WIBDECO failed to withdraw the letter terminating the banana contract.

 

The SLBC was removed from the list of companies qualified to sell bananas since it had not obtained certification from the British-based Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO).

 

Agriculture Minister Ezekiel Joseph said the SLBC had an opportunity to get certified and protect its status in the market like its sister organisations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, but failed to do so.

 

“The SLBC did not grab the opportunity to invest in Fair Trade bananas unlike St. Vincent and Dominica which have only one banana company. In St. Lucia there are three,” he said.

 

“The other two which you are not hearing anything about came to the table and met the National Fairtrade Organisation and discussed the matter, but based on my information the Corporation did not see the need to.”

 

Meanwhile, the banana company has also reacted to calls last week from shareholders for dissolution of the Board of Directors and for an inquiry into its operations.

 

It said that the move should be in line with the by-laws of the corporation.

 

CMC/es/pr/dmb/08