Dear Editor,

SUGAR cultivation was first introduced in Guyana around the 1630’s when the Dutch ruled. By the second half of the 17th century it had rapidly expanded and over three and a half centuries, sugar played an important, if not the most important role in our country’s economy.
Overtime it became the largest single employment sector in Guyana. History has recorded that Guyana’s economy up until the 1880’s was based completely on the production of sugarcane and has remained a significant part of the economy until a short while ago.

The cultivation of sugar in Guyana commenced between 1630 and 1658 under the Dutch rule. The Africans arrived here in the 1700’s. Hence it would have been the Amerindians and later the lower-class of Europeans who would have worked on these plantations. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, labour was sought by way of the immigration system with the arrival of the Portuguese and later from the East Indians who arrived in 1838 and who worked under the system of Indentureship. The Chinese arrived in 1853 after the suspension of the Indian immigration system.

Guyana’s unique ethnic composition is one that we brag about. Hence it is noteworthy that our country’s first official product saw the participation of every ethnic group. All six races played a pivotal role in the establishment, cultivation, expansion and sustenance of Guyana’s sugar industry over the centuries. Three hundred and fifty-nine years later the industry has acquired the track record of positive growth and unparalleled contribution to the economy with a decline only on two occasions, the first being in 1980’s with a revival after 1992 and again in 2005 after the flood. However, recent events have revealed that the Government is somewhat unaware of these facts or they are vehemently bent on throwing out the baby with the bath water.

On the attainment of Independence sugar, being one of the two main agricultural industries in Guyana, was selected and is depicted on our Coat-of-Arms, one of our country’s symbols of nationhood. In like manner the green on the Golden Arrowhead symbolizes agriculture, of which sugar is a part.

Social Studies teach us from an early age that sugar is one of the five natural resources of Guyana and then there is the local expression that “sugar is king.”

What we have not been taught is that because of the blood, sweat, tears and suffering of our foreparents, sugar by way of its contribution to our economy for three hundred and fifty-nine years “made us free.”

Yet today as we witness and experience the rapid decline of our country’s economy there are those who are unashamedly refusing to recognise the first official product and the oldest and largest single economic sector in Guyana.

The government talks of “Greening the economy” but it is hell bent on discarding the industry that can be a major contributor to this initiative by way of byproducts which are used in the production of  food, beverages, confectionery, medicines, paper and ethanol gas.
The government complains of having to bail out the sugar industry in a manner that makes it seem as a burden on the economy yet it is willing to provide a subsidy to other areas.

Red Plastic Bag in his calypso “Sugar Made Us Free” urged that “we need to stop and consider the consequences that we will suffer later.”
These can be lifelong and detrimental, not only to one sector of society but to so many others directly and indirectly. The closure of the industry will have a ripple effect on individuals and the economy.
Biased and visionless thinking will result in workers being placed on the breadline and the disruption of family and community life. When the government closes the industry it is more than likely that we will now have to import sugar, not only for domestic use but also for use in production. Isn’t that being pennywise and pound foolish?

The toxic attitude of the supposedly caring government reeks of blatant discrimination and no concern for the welfare of the sugar workers. What sins have the workers in this age-old industry committed? Can it be that they are being made to suffer unduly based on the premise that the workforce is made largely of Indo-Guyanese, that they are ardent supporters of the PPP, that they are represented by the Unions GAWU and NAACIE which are earmarked as affiliates of the PPP or that they were the first sector that was organised by the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Founder of the PPP?

GAWU by way of its membership which comes mainly from the sugar industry is the largest individual union and by way of its affiliation make FITUG the largest umbrella trade union representative in Guyana currently. Can this be an attempt to destabilise the organisation by way of reducing its membership via the closure of the estates.

If this is so then it is a violation of their rights as is stated under the International Labour Organisation Act, Convention No. 87 & United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Article 19-23 – Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise.

The latest vendetta is the late payment of wages and salaries to sugar workers which was overdue by two weeks without any explanation. This is a violation of ILO’s Convention, 1949 (No.95).

The continued violations of workers’ rights such as this is being witnessed in the sugar industry and illustrate the blatant disrespect to the workers, the Union representatives and the entire Trade Union Movement of Guyana, making the flaunted united May Day Rally as factious and hypocritical as it can get.

The final chapter on the story of sugar in Guyana is about to end on a sad note and the APNU+AFC administration has designed its tombstone which reads “Here Rests The Sugar Industry of Guyana, 1630’s – ….”

Regards,
Gillian Burton-Persaud, M.P.