Yellow perils
work.
1984 Labour Ministry study showed that the banana sector consumes
80 per cent of the herbicides and 90 per cent of the fungicides used in the
country. Banana plantations are also allowed by the Government to apply hazardous
pesticides such as Paraquat, Mocap and Furadan which are not permitted on other
crops.
There are mounting fears that over two decades' heavy use of toxic
agricultural chemicals may soon produce a wicked backlash. Trade-union organizers
who have long focused on such basic labour issues as wages and benefits in their
dealings with Dole and the other big banana transnational, Del Monte, are now
paying more attention to health-and-safety