Monique Hepburn, News Editor
Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture and Land (centre), raps with union representatives prior to an emergency meeting held at the ministry's office in Kingston to resolve the impasse that has crippled sugar production at the Frome and Duckenfield sugar estates. From left are: Whitcliffe Matthews, deputy island supervisor of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU); Lambert Brown, president of the University and Allied Workers' Union and Pearnel Charles, vice-president of the BITU. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer at the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ), Livingston Morrison, is fearing for the safety of eight managers and senior officers employed to the Frome Sugar Factory in Westmoreland, who have gone into hiding following attacks and threats by workers at the facility.
"There are many people analysing what has taken place at Frome but one thing they have missed is that what took place is not only an attack on people, but also an attack on a system," Mr. Morrison told The Gleaner. He explained that efforts to manage factory resources have been met with bitter resentment on the part of workers.
"Who are the people who will take a chance and report to work?" he asked.
CHASED OUT OF OFFICES AND HOMES
"The managers have been chased out of their offices and their homes and are now in hiding because workers have been threatening them. I don't know if we should be allowed to operate like this."
On Saturday, worker unrest escalated to the point where a hostile mob stormed the office of Curbette Victorine, assistant operations and agriculture manager at Frome. He was later escorted off the property by the police.
The workers, claiming that they were being disrespected by Mr. Victorine and other managers, took matters in their own hands and tried to physically oust the factory officials.
The Agriculture Minister told The Gleaner yesterday that despite Mr. Morrison's fears he was confident that today's proposed resumption would be carried out smoothly.
