– Company Chairman, Dr Nanda Gopaul
THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday honoured 12 outstanding sugar workers from the Berbice Estate for their sterling contribution to their respective estate and the industry on the whole in 2008. Their efforts were recognised at a ceremony held at the Rosignol Secondary School, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and saw in attendance, besides scores of workers and their families, Agriculture Minister, Mr. Robert Persaud; GuySuCo Chairman, Dr Nanda Gopaul; and the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Errol Hanoman.

GuySuCo CEO, Mr. Errol Hanoman, standing third left; Agriculture Minister, Mr. Robert Persaud, centre; and GuySuCo Chairman, Dr Nanda Gopaul, extreme right, with the honoured workers.

Those voted champion workers by their colleagues were Mr. Dharamdat Bojh of Rose Hall Estate; Mr. Premirdra Krisendat of Blairmont Estate; Mr. Jamesie Mendonza of East Berbice Estates (Albion); and Mr. Latchman Joseph of Skeldon Estate.

Coupled with their excellent attendance record, Bojh, Krisendat, Joseph and Mendonza, all cane harvesters, were recognised for harvesting an average of 4.27, 3.4, 3.72 and 3.1 tonnes of cane respectively in 2008.
The awardees were each presented with plaques for their achievement and other rewards.
Addressing the well-attended function, Dr Gopaul noted the many setbacks the industry has been suffering since 2005, but said that should workers bond as a team and work with management, the industry is sure to see a reversal in its fortunes in no time, a sentiment that was echoed by the Minister and the company’s CEO, both of whom also addressed the gathering.

The gathering at yesterday’s ceremony

Reiterating that the industry will not see a turnaround if workers do not put their shoulders to the wheel and adapt, and work to realise the objectives of the industry’s comprehensive blueprint for success, Dr Gopaul said:

“The industry will not succeed if you as workers do not shed the bad habit of not going to work on Mondays and not going to work on Saturdays, and instead participate when there is a wedding in the community.”

He said that while nothing is wrong with celebrating, “we must ensure that we maximise our time, especially on opportunity days available. We have to bring this industry back, not this year, but next year, no later than that.”

Expanding on the notion of “available opportunity days,” Dr Gopaul said that gone were the days when workers could have relaxed and worked three days during the production period and still ensure the success of the industry. He said that with weather patterns being what they are these days, steps will have to be taken to take advantage of favourable conditions at every available opportunity.

“You cannot celebrate a champion estate with champion workers when you don’t have champion production,” he said.

In that context, Dr Gopaul said the 226,000 tonnes of sugar produced last year was a far cry from what they’d projected, and that if this trend were to continue, the industry will be in serious trouble. He said that had it not been for the government’s abiding interest and Minister Persaud’s hard work and dedication, the industry would have suffered such enormous difficulties, to the extent that workers would not have known where their next pay cheque was going to come from.

He cited as being testimony of the government’s enduring interest in the industry and its commitment to modernising the sector the construction of the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP) and of a packaging facility at the Enmore estate.

Slamming those naysayers who see the building of the SSMP as a waste of tax payers’ money and a development to prop up its supporters, Dr Gopaul said that without an efficient factory, and the ability to produce sugar at a cheaper price to compete effectively on the world market, the local industry will perish.

“We cannot do without a sugar industry; it has been our life blood,” he said, adding that globally, there is a shortage of some 10 million tonnes of raw sugar and that many refineries around the world have been approaching Guyana to help make up for the shortfall.

He said, however, that the Corporation will only be able to take up those offers if workers up their production levels and work with management.

Noting that the global economic meltdown has caused millions of workers the world over to loose their jobs and suffer wage cuts, we in Guyana, a Third World country at that, have been able to weather the storm.

“We have been able to cushion the impact because of the effective and efficient management of this economy by a government that cares, by a government that has prided it self of being a working class government, never ever, in bad moments and bad economic situations did we seek to freeze wages,” Dr Gopaul said.

On that score, he urged those workers present to abide by the grievance procedures in addressing their concerns to avoid any unnecessary strike action. “I am a trade unionist; not that I have been a trade unionist, and I still have workers interest at heart. And if I see things going wrong against workers, I stand up and speak out against that,” he said, adding:

“Equally, I want to ask workers that you cannot expect management to keep their side of the bargain and you don’t keep your side.

“At this enlightened period, when globalisation and all the challenges that face industries, especially manufacturing ones, you have to ensure that you protect your jobs and protect yourselves by remaining disciplined and focused.”

Minister Persaud urged all workers to emulate the performance of their honoured colleagues, pointing out this is critical in re-positioning industry.

Earlier, Hanoman outlined the performance of the industry last year and interventions to address the deficiencies.

He noted that alcohol abuse is a major problem affecting workers, and that the Corporation has started a programme at all its estates to address this issue.