Dear Editor
DEMERARA Waves on December 9, 2016, reported that Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo in his contribution to the 2017 Budget debate said “…the sugar workers’ union then sought to block GuySuCo from paying that severance, a move which was rescinded after the sugar workers petitioned their union, and were paid some $80M in severance from the sugar corporation.” The PM is also reported in the December 11, 2016, Guyana Chronicle as saying:- “…the union and the PPP of [sic] using workers as voting machines who pay ‘union dues to the labour bureaucrats’…”.
With respect to the ‘petition’ referred to by the Prime Minister this is but, in the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) estimation, another ploy seeking to undermine the union. In an August 2, 2016 press release, GAWU said that it had reliable information that the Prime Minister during a meeting with some of the severed Wales workers on July 27, 2016, had sought to influence them to prepare a petition calling on the union to withdraw its injunction. During that meeting, the union understands also that the workers were urged to organise their colleagues to picket the union. Our release went on to say:- “Also, a circulating view is that the 11 workers who met with the ministers [the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture] have received an inducement for their [intended] picketing assignment.”
No worker ever picketed GAWU’s office, nor was any petition ever seen by the union. It is recalled, on August 29, 2016, Justice Brassington Reynolds ordered the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) to engage the GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE). That order ensured that Section 12(3)(b) of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA) was respected. The relevant section requires an employer to consult the recognised union in event of the possibility of redundancy. GuySuCo, not wanting to engage the union on this matter previously, was at last compelled to engage the GAWU. Our union and NAACIE then withdrew the injunction after it had served its purpose.
GAWU also was always supportive of the workers receiving their severance payments and never, at any time, sought to stand in their way. On March 24, 2016, one hundred and two (102) workers each received a month’s redundancy notice from the corporation. It followed that the workers should have received their redundancy payments not later than the last week of April, 2016. That payment, it is recalled, was not honoured until October 14, 2016. From April 23, 2016, the workers were not in the estate’s employ, therefore, union dues could not have been paid by them. Here, the PM’s statement which was reckless, irresponsible and grossly inaccurate, is exposed.
The GAWU wishes to underline that the sole the purpose of the injunction by the unions was to ensure that the rights of the remaining Wales workers, some 1,600, who would be severed after the estate’s closure, were not disregarded. In fact, with effect from December 14, 2016, GuySuCo, in keeping with the court’s ruling and TESPA began to engage GAWU at the Wales Estate location in interviewing each worker with respect to their severance pay. The attempts to discredit our union have not succeeded previously. The latest attempt, as reported, will not succeed either. The PM is continuing along a track that will bring him greater condemnation from workers, especially those in the sugar industry.
Regards
Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union