THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday accused the main sugar union the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) of forcing some Uitvlugt estate workers to strike last Tuesday.According to a release from the corporation, on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, as Guyana celebrated its 46th anniversary of republicanism, GAWU representatives fanned out across the sugar industry persuading workers to strike and protest.
“Workers at most of the estates did not answer this call which was masterminded by the union’s central leadership. The maturity of the workforce prevailed over the union’s self-serving call that could have had a negative impact on the industry.”
There was normalcy at all estates except Uitvlugt estate, where 400 harvesters came out, indicating their willingness to work. However, the Field Officer and representatives of GAWU prevented the workers from working, with the result that 70 persons defied them while 330 went home reluctantly.
The Field Officer who was installed there just yesterday (after his predecessor was dismissed February 3, 2016 for not supporting calls made by his superiors in the Union) and representatives were at the order line encouraging workers to strike, the statement highlighted.
It was alleged that they were given strong warnings by the union leadership, in the case of the Field Officer that, “If he cannot get the workers to protest he will be removed as Field Officer” and in relation to the representatives, “If they don’t get their respective gang workers to strike they will be removed as reps.”
Further, it was alleged that similarly, the workers were told that if they don’t support the strike they would not be afforded representation by the union in future.
The reluctant support of the workers relates to 330 cane harvesters who prepared their meals and went out to work but had to go home losing their earnings for that day.
Also with a production of 410 tonnes of sugar that morning, against a target of 969 tonnes of sugar, their inability to work, which was incited by the representatives and Field Officer of the union, will result in all of Uitvlugt possibly losing a further day’s pay in the form of Weekly Production Incentives (WPI) for not achieving their target.
It is believed that the union was determined to break Uitvlugt Estate’s momentum, as the estate had achieved its targets for the two previous weeks since the crop commenced, when all workers earned one day WPI each.
GuySuCo exhorted its workers to be more concerned about their future, with job security, and not the agenda of their union’s leadership which seems not to be in sync with the best interest of the workers and the industry.