Workers of the Wales Sugar Estate took their frustration outside the Ministry of the Presidency Monday morning, demanding that they be paid their severance, following government’s closure of the estate.

Over 40 workers with placards stood outside the Vlissengen Road entrance of the Ministry and chanted, “We need we severance and no work at Uitvlugt Estate.”   

Some of the placards read: “Sugar Production at Wales ended – Our jobs are redundant;” “Severance Pay, legal Right;” “No to coercion and bullyism by GuySuCo;” “Wales is close, we deserve our pay.”

The workers believe that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is “forcing” them to transfer their service to Uitvlugt Estate on the West Coast of Demerara, some 22 miles from their hometown.

They do not want to travel the distance and are demanding that they be paid severance, in keeping with the relevant laws. Following GuySuCo’s meeting with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) recently, the sugar company disclosed that there is a demand for labour at the Uitvlugt Estate. According to the workers, they were subsequently informed that the Union had agreed for employees to be transferred to Uitvlugt, but GAWU denied that it ever made any such agreement.

The Corporation noted that the Uitvlugt Estate is being upgraded to increase its production from 20,000 to 40,000 tonnes of sugar annually. On this basis, the Corporation reiterated its demand for labour.