WALES sugar estate workers remain unwavering in seeking the reversal of the Government’s decision to close the estate. Through the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Ministry of Agriculture revealed on January 17, 2016 that the investment required to refurbish Wales estate remained significant, and the finances were simply not available.
However, according to a Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) release on Friday, “The closure will risk the livelihoods of about 2,500 workers and farmers and their dependents. Residents will be forced to contend with economic deterioration, and many even with ruin, should the Wales sugar factory and the 1,500-hectare cultivation be abandoned by the Government of Guyana.”
The Government, nevertheless, is contending that “diverting funds from the other estates to keep Wales afloat would seriously jeopardise the future of all estates. This cannot be allowed to happen.
“It is impossible to make sugar production at Wales viable. This is made worse by the gloomy outlook for sugar prices for the foreseeable future. Wales Estate is projected to make a loss of (between) G$1.6B and $1.9B in 2016. This, coupled with the extent of refurbishment needed, renders this estate prohibitively costly to maintain,” the Government’s statement on January 17 lamented.
To protect the other estates, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) said, it had no alternative but to take the following course of action with immediate effect: No further land preparation and planting; as the estate’s cultivation is harvested, the land would be retired and held for other diversification ventures. The Wales factory would operate throughout 2016, milling both the estate’s and farmers’ canes. It will be closed at the end of the 2016 second crop. With effect from 2017, farmers’ canes will be milled at the Uitvlugt factory.

During this year, the routing of farmers’ canes to Uitvlugt would be determined to ensure the least additional cost; agricultural workers at Wales will be absorbed by Uitvlugt up to the extent of suitable vacancies on that location; surplus labour would have to be made redundant; and the same principle would apply to the other departments.
Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil was held on April 7, 2016, representing another manifestation of the workers’ myriad actions seeking a reversal of the decision to close the estate.

According to a GAWU release, some weeks ago, 67 workers were allegedly denied continuous employment because the estate management deemed their work status as temporary. Another 105 have been deemed redundant, while hundreds of others are unaware of their fate.

GAWU also accused GuySuCo of disregarding the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, and said the corporation remains adamant in not engaging the workers’ unions -– the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) -– in the process and procedure related to the retrenchment.

Nevertheless, “the workers and others remain committed to their cause to save Wales Estate. We appreciate the hands of support and the expression of solidarity (extended) to us. In the continuing struggles, we — workers, farmers and residents — are confident that such assistance can be relied on,” the statement highlighted.