The grinding of sugar cane resumed at Portvale Sugar Factory in St James yesterday and truckers made regular trips to feed the starved mill.
Work stopped on April 10, after the Barbados Workers’ Union called out workers on strike, crippling the industry for eight days.
When asked to comment on the effects of the work stoppage and the expectations as work resumed yesterday, factory manager Raphael O’neal declined comment.
However, truckers leaving the factory said the break did have some impact, but it was not unbearable.
One trucker, who gave his name as Rossco, said his business Rossco’s Freighting Services felt some effect but he used the break “as a little down time”.
He said on any given day he made at least six or seven trips, but during the break he was more concerned about the loss to the industry than his own loss of earnings.
Another trucker employed by Y & G Trucking said the stoppage had no major effect on him since he worked with a company and was deployed in other areas during the strike.
He said they usually hauled at least six loads a day but that was dependent on whether he was shipping samples or a regular load as well as the speed at which the factory was operating.
Wayne White, who was making a delivery of canes, said it was the first time since the start of the sugar crop that he had brought canes to the factory, so the stoppage did not affect him.
However, he said he was waiting to see how the remainder of the harvest season would pan out. (LK)
