THE country’s sugar workers union GAWU Tuesday began talks with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on the benefits package for workers.According to the union, 42 of its representatives met with the Corporation at the LBI Training Building, East Coast Demerara.
The two sides discussed benefits for field foremen and field and factory workers, who make up over 95 per cent of the corporation’s 17,000 workforce.
Through its fringe claims, the union sought improvements in the provision of tools, safety equipment and allowances, among other things.
The union in a press release stated that fringe benefit claims as well as the workers’ wage/salary claims pertaining to increased pay were submitted to GuySuCo since March, 2015.
The union accused GuySuCo of refusing to engage it on the two above issues in the past.
This resulted in workers picketing, irregular strike actions, especially the weekly Tuesday strike, and GAWU’s resort to the media.
“Next Wednesday April 13, 2016, the union and the corporation are likely to complete the examination of GAWU’s fringe benefit claims on which occasion the corporation, expectedly, would provide its answers,” GAWU stated.
The union, notwithstanding the corporation’s announcement that the sugar workers would not be granted any pay rise for 2015, is demanding that it be heard on its pay increase claims.
GAWU said it was looking forward to GuySuCo providing financial statements and other relevant information during the expected discussions.
The union said its call to be engaged in Collective Bargaining is supported by the Constitution of Guyana, the Trade Union Recognition Act, the Collective Labour Agreement and ILO Convention 98.
GAWU said given these provisions, it would oppose GuySuCo’s stance should it continue to “disrespect the Collective Bargaining process.”