A large number of East Demerara Estate workers accompanied by residents marched through the community of Enmore, East Coast Demerara to the community of Enterprise, some four miles away on Monday morning in objection to what they say is the proposed closure of the East Demerara Estate.

A statement from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) noted that while the Government has not announced formally its position on the closure, all indications are that the closure process has begun. According to GAWU, for some weeks now, cane planting at the Estate has been stopped which portends that no plans are being made for crops beyond this year.

“The Estate which employs some 2,222 employees is currently a major source of employment and plays a significant role in maintaining the rural economy of many communities throughout the East Coast of Demerara. The closure, proposed or intended, like at Wales is being done without any assessment of the social and economic consequences that would attend to the sad decision,” GAWU noted.

GAWU reminded that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised the Administration that such assessment is an essential element in addressing the industry’s future. Seemingly, the advice is not being taken on board by the powers-that-be.

“In replacing sugar cultivation, the Administration and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) have identified the implementation of non-sugar ventures such as orchard crops, legumes, rice, livestock, dairy cattle, aquaculture, among other things. Similar ventures which were to be established at the recently-closed Wales Estate but they are nowhere close to being fructified at this time. Our Union’s examination of the documentation produced by the Corporation, in this regard, has revealed there are more questions than answers,”the GAWU statement noted.

According to GAWU, East Demerara Estate occupies an important place in the sugar industry. The Estate possesses the larger of the industry’s two (2) sugar packaging plants.

“It is recalled that the Corporation receives its highest return on packaged sugar. Moreover, the Estate’s mechanization programme is far advanced and many of its field operations can be done mechanically. And only a few months ago, certain operations of LBI and Enmore Estates were merged in an effort to enhance efficiency, improve productivity and reduce costs. GAWU, therefore, finds the decision/proposal to close the Estate bewildering.”

GAWU said it stands in solidarity with the workers and residents and is also strongly against the closure of any sugar estate. GAWU believes that the industry is more than capable of overcoming its present difficulties.