– President Jagdeo calls for workers to recommit themselves and help the industry turn around
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday announced that $300M will be given to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to be paid out as severance to over 500 workers from the Diamond Sugar Estate.
Following the closure of the estate, the workers who stayed on with GuySuCo continued their years of service at the La Bonne Intention Estate and, as an incentive, were paid for two additional hours each day they worked. However, this was clearly unsatisfactory and the Guyana Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), the sugar company and the government have been engaged in consultations.
Jagdeo’s announcement, made during a meeting with sugar workers at the Diamond Secondary School, was welcomed; and according to him, an early payout will be facilitated, since the monies will be transferred to GuySuCo by the end of next week.

We Need You

The Head of State spoke of the many challenges facing the sector and stressed that even though the workers are being severed, following their years of service at the Diamond Estate, they are still needed in the sector.
Jagdeo called for commitment from the workers to deal with the realities of the sugar industry, realities such as GuySuCo’s troubling financial position, the loss of some $9B with changes in the European Union market, the impact of climate change on the sector, and the advancements in today’s world that are resulting in a shift from labour-intensive type employment to mechanization.
He made it clear that with the workers’ support and good management to deal with the industry’s challenges, the sugar industry will realize the turn-around it is aiming for.
“We hope people will go back to work. We need people…GuySuCo has a place for you,” the President said.
Jagdeo pointed out that the situation in which workers were unhappy is untenable in the Guyana that the current administration is trying to build, and if the sector is going to move forward.
According to him, apart from engagement with the various stakeholders, GAWU moved to the courts in the interest of their workers.
However, the Head of State, in acknowledging the grievances of the workers, noted that a court process would have taken many years.
“These are real problems,” he said.
Jagdeo explained his intervention was made to bring about a more timely resolution, as compared to the time a court process would take, and to ensure that the people in the sector are content with their conditions of work and are better placed to contribute to the industry’s turnaround.

Awareness Seminar

The president charged GuySuCo to host an awareness seminar for those workers who receive their severance, to ensure that they are au fait with the options available to them, with regard to continuing their service with the industry.
“We have a struggle, but we will make it (the sugar industry) a success,” the president said.
The president committed to ensuring that workers receiving their severance are worked with to decide on the best way forward for their lives.
He suggested that the workers get involved in activities to improve their lives, and stressed the benefits of becoming computer literate, especially with the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) that will be coming on stream soon.
“These are not empty promises. We keep working on them. We develop year after year,” Jagdeo posited.
GAWU’s President, Mr. Komal Chand, also made remarks, and called this development an “important junction” that will ensure that the sugar workers are contented, and is another commitment in support of the sugar sector.
To date the current administration has invested $50B in GuySuCo since 1999.
“This is a big burden off our shoulders…we want sugar to succeed and the conditions are right for it to succeed,” Chand stressed.
The union official came in for some flak by a group of about 20 workers who charged that their best interests were not considered when Chand made recommendations regarding their employment.
They will not be benefiting from severance payments since they stopped working with GuySuCo a year ago, breaking their years of service and so are not qualified for severance payment.

Optimism

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud called for stakeholders in the sugar industry to remain optimistic and work hard for a better industry.
He pointed out that by Thursday the sector is expected to surpass 100,000 tonnes of sugar in the year’s first crop – a production that the sector has not seen since 2004.
Persaud stressed that the support of the government is aimed at ensuring that the interest of workers are adequately and equitably addressed.
The Agriculture Minister pointed out that some $2M is spent weekly to transport workers from the East Bank of Demerara to the LBI Estate – an effort that shows clearly the current administration’s commitment to meeting their needs.
He made it clear that the President’s commitment is one that will accelerate the turnaround of the sugar industry.