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A release pertaining to the issue stated that on July 6, 2011, GuySuCo and NAACIE signed an agreement providing for an average increase in pay of 38% on all jobs within its bargaining unit.
According to factual information stated in the release, this increase was effective from January 1, 2011.
That agreement culminated a joint job evaluation and compensation survey conducted by both parties, and a mutual agreement emanated therefrom.
The release said that, last week, a section of the same bargaining unit struck for 2 days on some estates for the same reason that has been advanced for the current strike. Prior to this strike, the Corporation and NAACIE met on 8 occasions within 2 months; the last being on October 30, 2012, when the Corporation indicated to the Union that it could not concede to the demand to increase the existing scales by 22% and a further 10% across-the-board.
The release said that at that meeting, after the Corporation recognized that the Union was insistent in its demand, it procedurally proposed that the existing dispute be referred to the Ministry of Labour for conciliation. Further, the Corporation offered the Union an opportunity to meet with the Board of Directors at its next meeting, if it so desired.
The Union refused both options, and indicated that the preferred option was to take industrial action. This strike is basically for an additional 32% (22% on increase in pay scales and 10% on across-the-board) increase after receiving a 38% increase via the agreement dated July 6, 2011.
The release added that the Corporation had, on all previous meetings, offered to review the pay of certain jobs the Union believes to be anomalous in pay. The Union insists that review must be done for all the jobs.
The Union has said that prior to the agreement of July 6, 2011, as an example, the average monthly payments for a junior bookkeeper and field supervisor were $37,000 and $55,000 respectively.
“After the agreement, the average monthly pay for these categories of employees increased to $50,000 and $105,000.
“In many cases, where employees within the Union’s bargaining unit are exposed to overtime work, the average monthly gross pay is in the vicinity of $200,000 to $250,000,” the release highlighted.
The current demand for these exorbitant increases, and strike action in support thereof, could best be described as irrational and irresponsible,…
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Mr. Kenneth Joseph, yesterday indicated that some employees of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) who are members of the association have gone on strike.
During a recent telephone interview with this publication, he said workers were forced to take strong industrial action over dissatisfaction with their current wages, noting that these are significantly low when compared to other workers in the corporation.
Joseph asserted that NAACIE has made all attempts to have GUYSUCO recognize the anomalies, which they claim to have recognized. However, he said that the corporation has indicated that nothing can be done at this point.
He further revealed that following bargaining talks, the corporation had agreed to grant a one percent increase to all its workers across the board for 2012.
Joseph said that workers are still not satisfied with that, and were forced to withdraw their labour, an action which the union strongly supports.
Joseph emphasized that the workers are adamant that they would not return to work until more satisfactory terms are granted by GUYSUCO. However, he said that management of the corporation seems determined to not change anything further.
Nevertheless, he advised that the association is waiting to see what would come out of the strike actions, and if they have to, they would take further actions, possibly with the Ministry of Labour.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GUYSUCO, Mr. Paul Bhim, yesterday disclosed that the 207 out of 487 workers on strike are office, factory and field workers from the Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall, Blairmont, Enmore and Wales estates.
Although Bhim said he is unsure how long this strike action will last, he advised that the union had indicated two days to the corporation, beginning yesterday.
He added also that some workers from the Blairmont Sugar Estate took strike action for three days last week, although this was not highly publicized.
He further revealed that the strike actions are as a result of recent “wage talks” between NAACIE and GUYSUCO, during which the union bargained for an increase in wages for its members.
Bhim said the workers are also unhappy with a job evaluation exercise that was done some two years ago. He related that they are calling for it to be revisited, but he stressed that this cannot be done again, since it was already done.
He also indicated that GUYSUCO is willing to meet with the union, but this cannot be done unless the workers return to their jobs. However, he pointed out that the two sides did meet last week, and should be meeting again before the end of this week.
Nevertheless, Bhim emphasized that the strike action should not affect production in any way, since senior staff members will be filling in for the workers who are on strike.
Meanwhile, he highlighted that 115,350 tonnes of sugar has been produced so far for this crop, and all factories are still in operation until the second week in December.
