THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has established an ‘Alternative Livelihoods Programme’ to cushion the impact of the downsizing of its workforce which is expected to be around 6,000 by 2020.
The sugar industry currently has a workforce of 16,000 people, but this number will be significantly reduced as the corporation scales down operations to allow the industry to be more efficient and cost-effective.
The “New GuySuCo” as it is being called will soon comprise only three estates and three factories at Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt.
The Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Rose Hall, Berbice factories will be closed by year-end. The Wales Estate was closed in 2016. Already, 389 sugar workers have been made redundant and paid their severance.
GuySuCo’s Chief Industrial Relations Manager Deodat Sukhoo on Friday disclosed that the corporation started its redundancy programme at the East Coast Demerara Estate this week.

“The first phase at East Dem will see about 300 persons, and at the end of the crop you will see another 1,200 persons, bringing it to 1, 500,” the chief industrial relations manager disclosed.
Several hundred sugar workers from Rose Hall are expected to be relieved as well. “At Skeldon, we will have to treat with those employees,” he added, while noting that there are some 2000 persons there.
Sukhoo was speaking during a televised press conference at the National Communications Network (NCN). GuySuCo’s Senior Communications Officer Audreyanna Thomas, who also sat on the panel, said GuySuCo has devised a plan to assist the thousands of workers who will be made redundant.

Acknowledging that the transition will be no easy task, and that such a move would likely impact not only the sugar workers but their families as well, Thomas said the Alternative Livelihoods Programme will equip the targeted workers with the requisite skills and knowledge needed to exist outside of the sugar industry.
According to her, the programme has three components with the first aspect providing an opportunity for the redundant workers to provide services on a contractual basis.
“We have a number of contractual opportunities where contractors are currently providing those services to the corporation, so we are examining those opportunities to determine which of those might be available for employees to become engaged in and provide us with services,” the senior communication officer explained.

SKILLS TRAINING
The second component entails a skills training programme. “Most of our employees would have worked in the sugar industry for most of their working life and so what we are attempting to do in this Alternative Livelihood Programme is re-skill our employees, those employees who would be made redundant,” Thomas further explained.
According to her, the corporation has met with approximately 500 employees from the Wales and East Demerara Estates with 100 of them signalling their willingness to be retrained.

Twenty-one persons have expressed interest in being trained in sewing, cosmetology and caring for the elderly, while another 26 employees so far have indicated an interest in being trained in catering. Another 28, Thomas noted, have expressed an interest in being trained in masonry, carpentry, plumbing, mechanical and electrical works.
Thirteen have signalled their willingness to be trained in small business management and business proposals, while seven other workers said they are interested in refrigeration, air conditioning and computer repairs. Some have also expressed an interest in being trained in project management and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Thomas noted that the corporation would be building partnerships with training institutions and other agencies that would assist in the training programme.
This component would see sugar cane workers being transitioned into farmers. “We currently have some consultants who are assisting us on how to transition employees into farmers.”

GuySuCo has committed to lease plots of lands to employees who are interested in becoming farmers.
The last component entails a sustainable community programme. Through this programme, GuySuCo intends to build more resilient communities with emphasis on the sugar-dependent communities.

Focus is being placed on communities in the vicinities of the Enmore, East Coast Demerara, Rose Hall and Wales Estates.
“We’ve already conducted a study within these communities to determine from the residents if you are not doing sugar what else would you want to do, what are the other preferred areas of growth that you would like to do in your area and what sort of skills and training do you need to achieve those growth areas,” Thomas said.