I FIND little joy in penning letters to the Editors, as control of printed contents and publication is never in the domain of the authors. On this occasion, however, the pain I feel about my former union GAWU reputation compels me to communicate to the public through your letter column in the hope that Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul will respond appropriately to the union and the workers of the sugar industry. Dr Cheddi Jagan acted and spoke the way he did because he was the son of a sugar worker. He experienced the pain and suffering that sugar workers endured over a long period of time.” Difficulties there will be; the battle will be long and hard. But win again we will.” GAWU stands ready to defend the interests of its members and win more gains on their behalf and that of all the working people of Guyana at all costs.
Dr Gopaul must recognise that the wages and salaries level does not meet the expectation of a direct living wage of the sugar workers, at the same time the inflation rate for practically every year has not been restricted to a single digit, thus the wages and salaries have resulted each year in no improvement of the purchasing power of the sugar workers. While gains were being made for the workers in some areas, there is an undemocratic force now trying their best to destroy the union.
GuySuCo’s management made many colossal blunders when it decided to hire super salaries CEO and managers with fat benefits the new Board has been tasked with producing a ‘ turnaround’ plan for the sugar industry. This was urgent business given the fall in sugar cane production, and the consequences of the EUs removal of guaranteed prices.
Threatening GAWU with de-recognition at this point in time will certainly aggravate the workers. The Board therefore must be able to produce an alternative arrangement in order to avoid strikes and move the industry forward.
Challenges and problems are there for us to overcome. When we meet together and work in a civilised manner, we may not solve the problem today but the effort and determination will result in success at the end. Protection against anti-union employers is provided for by section 23, in the Trade Union ACT, 1979 while at the same time, protects trade unions’ rights to organise and the workers’ rights to freedom of association.