Dear Editor,

THE Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) hereby endorses and supports the concerns and sentiments contained in a press release recently issued by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), a major affiliate of the FITUG grouping.

The release expressed our affiliate’s strong and unambiguous condemnation, bordering on outrage, regarding intimation to dispose by sale of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc’s (GuySuCo) major asset, the Skeldon factory, and other related properties.

FITUG notes the potential dire effects on the employees’ lives of this unnecessary plan to sell an important national asset. Any sale of the Skeldon facility at this time would certainly impact negatively on the entire industry, and can only aggravate the country’s economic plight. The factory and the estate’s extensive and rich land holdings have the potential to contribute to GuySuCo’s recovery, and indeed the nation’s economy.

FITUG sees much sense in the case made by GAWU for the retention, refurbishment, and sustained technical maintenance of the Skeldon flagship estate. Recent praise about the factory’s excellent sustained improved production performance coming from GuySuCo’s Chairman and the Agriculture Minister need to be emphasized.
Additionally, the Corporation’s last (2015) Annual Report also spoke to the factory’s excellent performance, and importantly, the constructive recommendations from the Government-appointed Commission of Inquiry must not be swept under the carpet, as they present a sound case for the retention of Skeldon with all its potential, including its Co-Generation plant.

Further, FITUG wishes to raise concerns that are related to transparency in the proposed Government-Corporation ‘sale’ scheme. Firstly, as experienced when the Wales Estate closure was mooted early this year, there has been no consultation with the workers or their union.

Credible information revealed that at the level of GuySuCo’s Board of Directors the matter was not discussed, and the relevant decision(s) seem to be limited to a select few, at least up to this time. We are mindful of the fact that the industry, wholly or its many components, belong to the nation, and neither the administration of GuySuCo nor the Government should forget this.

FITUG considers it important to expose that no agency or auditor — except Wartsila, which examined only the power generation aspect of the factory — has been identified in the new and sudden critique of Skeldon, made simultaneously when not-so-far-fetched rumours about a chosen buyer has been identified, though no bidding has been announced. FITUG urges the Government to tread warily, re-think hasty decisions, and consult every stakeholder, including the unions and the political opposition, on this ‘sale of Skeldon’, which we firmly believe will be disastrous.

FITUG recognises the anxieties gripping the workers and their families; it is felt in their communities. Once again, we see a high-handed callous treatment of workers and their Unions. This is a direction that is not leading to a hopeful future.

Regards,
KENNETH JOSEPH
General Secretary
FITUG