…notes the need for mature minds to address sugar woes here
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday that Cabinet has taken notice of, and has addressed the spectre of continuing labour indiscipline and recurrent strikes in the sugar industry.
He made this observation during his weekly post- cabinet press briefing, when he said that the Office of the President has and will continue to lend its weight, and to heighten its engagement in the sugar belt, in its efforts to rectify the situation.
“Essentially, cabinet was informed that there was cane ready for harvesting at the estates, but labour stoppages were a constant threat to targets, and ultimately, financial viability, ” Dr. Luncheon said.
The Cabinet Secretary noted too that the industry’s industrial turnabout plan was also placed under stress as a result of the recurring strike action, since the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) board is demanding improved performance in  the industry, particularly at the level of estate management.
The Ministry of Labour has also continued its involvement in pursuance of labour laws that govern industrial disputes, he added.
He said too that the antics of the parliamentary opposition parties were deemed counter productive, as members visited work sites and addressed striking workers, encouraging them in “unjustified and ill- advised pursuits”.
Four days after the onset of strike action at the Blairmont Estate, a team from the Alliance for Change (AFC) including Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo, Nigel Hughes, and Gerhard Ramsaroop, along with former University of Guyana lecturer Frederick Kissoon, visited the estate and interacted with the striking workers.
In light of these developments, the HPS pointed out that Cabinet would be enhancing engagements with stakeholders in the industry in anticipation and in support of a return to normalcy in the industry; he also underscored the need for “mature minds to address sugar woes in Guyana.”

Administration’s Role
As to what role the Administration will play in addressing the issue, he said, “The engagement of the administration at various levels has never been more evident, particularly in recognition of the principle role that GAWU has and continues to play in the industry. Even in this crop and before the commencement of harvesting, engagements had flourished at the level of the administration and the union officials, with the unprecedented, ill-advised and unjustified stoppages.”
He reiterated the call for the interaction among all stakeholders in the interest of the advancement of the industry.
Workers at the Blairmont Estate continue to stay away from work in spite of pleas from union representatives for them to resume work following a meeting on Tuesday with the Labour Ministry.
After staying away on Monday and Tuesday, workers did not adhere to the advice of the union representatives and refused to return to work on Wednesday and Thursday.
Among the several concerns raised, workers are clamouring for the immediate removal of estate manager Corbett Victorine before returning to work.