Dear Editor

THE Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) is concerned at unrelenting attempts by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to engage our employees who are members of that union in acts which are counterproductive, are having a severe impact on the productivity of the corporation, and are affecting the wages and salaries of our employees.

The most recent case in point is with reference to the corporation enforcing disciplinary measures against one of its employees who, as a representative of GAWU, physically assaulted another colleague employee. There was a verbal exchange, and the GAWU representative employee grabbed the other employee by the throat. The corporation applied due process in accordance with its policy for addressing such matters, and it resulted in the services of the employee being terminated.

This matter subsequently engaged the attention of the Department of Labour of the Ministry of Social Protection at conciliation, after which the conciliator declared the matter deadlocked. GAWU has since requested that the matter be taken to arbitration, but GuySuCo has informed the Ministry of its refusal on ground that sufficient justification was not provided by GAWU. The corporation’s position is also in accordance with the established Procedural Agreement between GuySuCo and GAWU, which infers that there must be mutual agreement before the parties could move to arbitration.

GAWU has since informed the corporation of its intention to call strike action at the Blairmont Estate in respect to the matter. The corporation, currently working diligently to develop a more disciplined environment, has noticed that over the past two years there has been an increase in incidents of physical abuse among employees across the industry, and in all cases the corporation’s position has been consistent.

The corporation is in the final weeks of production for the Second Crop, and is seeking to capitalize on the good weather conditions and employees’ productivity. The employees at Blairmont Estate benefited from Weekly Production Incentive (WPI), which they worked hard to achieve last week and are on track to repeat this week. Therefore, it is unreasonable for GAWU to call strike action at this critical time, as apart from break the production momentum, it will prevent the employees from earning additional WPIs.

The corporation wishes to restate that when there is strike action, earnings are lost, sugar is lost as a result of stale canes, and there is no grinding opportunity to achieve WPIs. Up to the October 31, 2016, the corporation has recorded 139 strikes, resulting in the loss of 43,693 man days. GuySuCo is disappointed with the position of GAWU on this matter, since, apart from an attempt to encourage indiscipline in the corporation, this is a critical point in the production drive for the Second Crop. The Blairmont Estate is well positioned to achieve its Second Crop target and make up for its shortfall in the First Crop 2016.

GAWU continues to contradict itself and give the impression that its motives are suspect; since, on the one hand, it is insisting that the financially challenged corporation pay increases in wages and salaries and Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2016, while on the other hand it is threatening to call strike action while employees are trying their best to maximize on their earnings.

GuySuCo’s question is: Is GAWU really representing our employees’ interests, or its own?

GuySuCo management is once again requesting that employees think of their families and their communities which are depending on the viability of the sugar industry, and let good sense prevail. They are encouraged to make smarter decisions to safeguard their livelihood, show a greater sense of ownership, and understand that they have to take responsibility for their actions and work together to ensure Blairmont Estate regains its rightful place as a premiere estate.

Regards,
GUYANA SUGAR CORPORATION INC.