– GuySuCo says GAWU resisting change

THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has accused the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) of resisting change, to the detriment of sugar workers who are members of the union.Responding to an article published on August 4 by this newspaper under the headline “LBI workers picket GuySuCo over transfer to Enmore”, a statement from GuySuCo noted that its challenge with the union is that, while the Corporation is changing due to involuntary and external circumstances, GAWU, as a key stakeholder, is reluctant to adapt to the change.

GAWU has disagreed with GuySuCo’s decision to transfer La Bonne Intention (LBI) workers to the Enmore Estate, contending that the decision is not in accordance with what GuySuCo communicated to GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) on April 12, 2016 about its intention to close several departments of the LBI Estate.

In light of these developments, GAWU noted, both the workers and the union see the corporation’s newest position as a “betrayal”, and this can contribute to eroding trust between the parties.

The Corporation has nevertheless indicated that its current financial circumstances have made it imperative to review and revise its focus and mode of operation as it seeks to reduce inefficiency and improve productivity in order to survive the challenges and craft a better future. This revision process, GuySuCo contends, has therefore forced it to bring to completion areas such as the integration of the East Demerara Estate.

“Since 2011, the factory at LBI was merged with the factory at the Enmore Estate, bringing an end to factory operations at LBI,” the GuySuCo release has stated. Hence all sections which supported the factory operations were expected to be merged eventually with Enmore.

NO JOB LOSS
At an April 12, 2016 meeting to discuss consolidation of the East Demerara Estate, GAWU, NAACIE and the workers’ representatives were informed that all of the LBI operations would be merged with those of the Enmore Estate, and LBI employees would be transferred to similar jobs at Enmore. It was noted that those LBI employees who could not be placed in similar jobs at Enmore would be offered alternative placement, and anyone who could not be placed would be made redundant.

As such, the GuySuCo statement highlighted, the unions and workers’ representatives came to an agreement that the discussions on the merger and transfer would commence with employees from the Administrative department, Field Workshop, Field Laboratory, Mill Dock/Cane Transport. The end result saw 40 persons being made redundant effective from 31 July, 2016.

This was in adherence to the process stipulated within the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA). The process culminated with the Crop Husbandry and Cane Harvesting employees, since these categories would be absorbed fully at Enmore, with none of those jobs being affected, the Corporation said.

Subsequent to the inaugural meeting, GuySuCo engaged GAWU and NAACIE in a number of follow-up meetings during the months of May, June and July. Another meeting was held with GAWU and the cane harvesters on August 3, 2016, when it was agreed that the two harvesting gangs would be merged. GuySuCo further informed the employees that they would be transferred to the Enmore Estate.

Unfortunately, the union recanted on the agreement, stating that while it has no difficulty with the two gangs being merged, it did not want the employees to be transferred to the Enmore Estate.

GuySuCo noted that it is not practical for the employees to remain at LBI, since the consolidation process would end all operations at LBI.
The Corporation reiterated to GAWU and its delegation that the cane harvesters and crop husbandry workers would receive letters officially informing them of their transfer to the Enmore Estate. It was expected that this process would bring closure to the consolidation of the workforce at the East Demerara Estate.