Sugar workers have traditionally been the backbone of  Guyana’s economy.
From the time of slavery to current times and, historically , the back-breaking work that employees of the industry unremittingly engage in has never been adequately compensated, in spite of the fact that the nation benefits as a whole from the unrelentingly laborious efforts of sugar workers, especially during a time when the bauxite industry was failing and the sugar industry was heavily levied against in order to subsidize and support the ailing bauxite industry and protect the jobs of bauxite workers.
Since the sugar levy was instituted in 1976 to the time of its cessation in 2000,  $34 billion was pumped from the industry into the consolidated fund, which helped to pay public servants and other salaried workers, including contributing to the numerous benefits.
The sugar levy was distinct from the various taxes paid into the national exchequer by the industry in general and its thousands of employees.
But it seems that there is no protective mechanism to support the sugar workers when they need reciprocal interventions because sugar workers are part of the national socio-economic equation also.
They also have families with needs.  Added to their dilemma is that the employment opportunities and consequently the earning power of field workers are severely constrained because sugar production is a seasonal industry.
Apart from the new Skeldon Sugar Factory, all the other production systems are relics from the colonial era.  But the industry is staffed with brilliant, innovative persons in every area who keep these operations viable, creating ground-breaking initiatives, almost on a daily basis, with skilful engineering feats.  Sugar production itself  is a fine art, needing finely-honed scientific skills and sharply-honed experience.  Even the field staff  are exquisitely competent in their various areas of responsibilities, all of which need minute competence.
Yet the sugar workers are some of the lowest paid employees in this country.  A supervisor with overwhelming responsibilities, who has worked in the industry for approximately two decades, earns a basic wage of $58,000, with a take home pay of $42,000 after taxes.  This supervisor has three children in school – one in high school, with all the related expenses.
A clerk working for fifteen years earns a basic salary of $28,000; while his senior, whose years of employment exceeds 26 years, earns  $35, 000 per month.
The average field worker earns $168 per hour for unremittingly hard work, while a cane-cutter earns $800 per ton for cane he has cut; so he has to cut a minimum of 3 tons of cane per day, whatever the weather and conditions of work – hard, back-breaking work, in order to earn enough to tide him over the out-of crop periods; and these workers begin their day at 05:00 hrs.
The government of the day has its genesis in fighting for equity and equitable opportunities for the working class of the land; and the sugar workers of the country laid down their lives for the rights of everyone to provided equal opportunities within a national paradigm of socio-economic empowerment. So why is their voices being silenced today with threats, when their only crime is doing what they do best throughout the ages – agitating for just and equitable living wages and conditions, this time for themselves?  Why, is this most fundamental right that they have fought for benefiting everyone else but sugar workers?
Their request for their Annual Production Incentive and an increase in pay, given the extant dynamics, is certainly reasonable.  It is unconscionable that their fundamental needs and their rights are being held hostage to indebtedness by the industry and a reduced production, which both result from many factors; not least bad management.
But Guyana’s President is aware that his party and his government has the most basic mandate – to protect the rights of the working class people of the land: and he has stridently voiced his support of the rights of the sugar workers to have their voices continue to be heard through the union that has continuously and unrelentingly waged their struggles – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU).
President Bharrat Jagdeo made it clear Friday evening upon his return from the MERCOSUR summit in Brazil that his administration will not countenance any suggestion from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) about de-recognising GAWU.
The President was responding to media reports that night, that the sugar company, in a letter to GAWU, threatened to consider parting company with the union in light of its continual violation of the Collective Labour Agreement.
President Jagdeo said that while he understands the frustration of GuySuCo’s board and its management, the issue of de-recognition was definitely out of the question. He, however, declined to elaborate on the ongoing dispute between the union and GuySuCo which is hampering sugar production for 2010, save for saying that the matter will be discussed at an internal meeting (which was scheduled for Saturday), following which he will be in a better position to pronounce on it.
Like the President, Agriculture Minister, Mr. Robert Persaud, who was away when the letter surfaced, having been part of the delegation to Brazil, said de-recognition was not an option, and never will be, and that he is awaiting a full report on the status of engagement between the union and the company from the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Nanda Gopaul.
GuySuCo is contending that strike action and low staff turnout are among factors inhibiting the industry’s production and affecting its turnaround plan. It says that while it has enough cane in the fields to meet its 2010 target, the factors at reference are obstructing harvesting and milling.
The company has since issued a statement saying that its recent decision to review its relationship with GAWU was “based purely on the expectations of the union as outlined in the ‘Recognition and the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes’ agreement.”

De-recognize GAWU?  Not under my watch, said President Jagdeo.  Somewhere Dr. Cheddi Jagan is smiling.