SUGAR workers at the Albion estate, Region 6, have again taken strike action, calling on the management and Board of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), to pay their high demands for reaping over-run canes. The workers claimed they were in the past paid $4000 per punt for carryover canes by the estate’s previous manager, Yudhisthira Mana, who is currently managing the Wales Estate, Region 3. This the corporation refuted.
But GuySuCo’s management has maintained that the corporation is not in a position to meet their demands, according to Chief Executive Officer GuySuCo, Paul Bhim during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Sugar harvesters from gangs 14 A and B, who were joined by five other harvesting gangs from Port Mourant in solidarity, staged a protest on July 16 by blocking the roadways, with the aim of forcing the corporation to consider their demands.
“We at this time cannot meet the demands the sugar workers are calling for, as we feel the task does not justify those demands,” Bhim said.
Since the commencement of the industrial unrest by the workers, sugar canes which were already burnt have been abandoned in the field as calls are being made by the sugar workers and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) for fresh canes to be burnt.
The corporation has since offered to do so in order to meet one of their demands, but the workers, according to the CEO, have refused to return to work even after this concession was granted.
When contacted, a representative of GAWU stated that while the situation remains an alarming one, he anticipates that a decision will be met that will be favourable to both parties. The union’s representatives and GuySuCo’s Management have met with the workers in order to come to a compromise and will be meeting with them again today.
According to the representative, from all indications, it appears that no solution is likely to be made in the future, even as Bhim maintains that the shortfall in production has severely impacted the corporation’s financing.
A suggestion was made to the sugar workers to have three workers from every gang and their representatives summoned to a meeting with GuySuCo’s management, but this has been shunned by the workers who maintained they will not bring a halt to the strike action until they are paid the $4000 per punt.
It has been 10 days since the canes have been burnt, and if a decision is not made shortly, over 162 punts of canes (approximately 962 tonnes) could be lost, as a result of the industrial unrest.
The GAWU representative stated that they are prepared to meet with GuySuCo’s management when the need arises.
Thus far, approximately 400 harvesters have downed their tools, and vowed not to return to the fields until their demands are met by GuySuCo.
The actions of workers have over the years, hampered the production of the corporation, and have resulted in shortfalls in projected production targets for the crops. GuySuCo’s projection target for the second crop is 167,000 tonnes; and to date, only 5,500 tonnes have been produced, even as La Nina season creeps up.
Extreme rainy periods, compounded by the strike actions, have been a major constraint hurting the sugar corporation and GuySuCo’s management is calling on the workers to be rational in their demands.
GuySuCo has over the years successfully maintained its international market obligations, and at present, there is a European Union (EU) vessel docked in Georgetown, and is expected to sail on Friday, July 27, with approximately 6,500 tonnes of sugar.
According to Bhim, this commitment would not likely be met due to the industrial unrest and would see the entity, incurring an additional cost at US$6000 per day which will have to be paid in the interim for the delay.
“These actions by the workers will only push the corporation backwards….we have a huge crop to take out and it is necessary to have the crop taken out…I would like to appeal to the workers to think the situation over as the country currently has important commitments to fulfil,” the CEO said.