MINISTER of Social Protection Amna Ally on Friday urged displaced sugar workers to tap into a micro-financing scheme being managed by her ministry and also take advantage of the various training opportunities that exist, as they seek to rebuild their lives following the closure of some estates.

Ally in a presentation made before several senior government ministers and representatives of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NACCIE) at the Ministry of the Presidency, said her ministry is deeply concerned with the “realities of the current situation facing GUYSUCO.”

She said her ministry stands ready to provide as much assistance as it can to the affected workers. “We are cognisant that many workers will now have to explore the idea of entering a new realm of employment and already we have given great consideration in a number of areas to go forward.”

Investment opportunities
Minister Ally outlined a few areas in which both the unions and government can assist the workers. She called for the hosting of workshops to guide workers in investment opportunities. “The bottom line is, persons must be given opportunities to invest in areas that are economically sustainable; this is a key factor given the current outlook,” she stated.

The minister said public health facilities in various areas will remain operational to persons working there and the Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) are engaged in working out the modus operandi. Additionally, the minister said the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has been conducting training in several areas such as engineering, building-masonry, carpentry, information and communication technology, forestry, home economics and health services.

“This certainly will provide opportunities for alternative skills by equipping persons with the necessary knowledge, skills and training relevant for employment. These types of training will be continuous,” said Ally, who noted that her ministry will be collaborating with the Ministry of Natural Resources to provide additional training opportunities with a focus on oil and gas. The Port Mourant Training Centre will be adequately utilised for this purpose.

The Social Protection Minister said too that her ministry’s micro-credit unit located on Lamaha and East Streets can also be of assistance to affected sugar workers as the unit provides micro-financing for start-up projects. “Already, some workers from Wales, West Bank Demerara have been engaging the project department and we are working with them,” she disclosed.

Minister Ally said while it is not her place to tell the redundant sugar workers how to utilise their severance payments, she suggested that the workers be advised on how to utilise their funds by investing in farming, manufacturing and other relevant economic activities that would be appropriate and beneficial to them. “It cannot be detrimental to anyone to think of making lives better; so my dear comrades, all is not lost. Let us not politicise this. Let us help those affected, so that economically they can see a good future ahead of them.”

The Minister of Social Protection called on all stakeholders to work together to provide positive solutions which would in turn ensure maximum economic gains for all concerned.
“I want to assure you that as far as practicable, the Ministry of Social Protection will make every effort to assist in cushioning the effects of the current situation with regard to the sugar industry,” Minister Ally assured.

Very positive
Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the Guyana Chronicle that the meeting which comprised the unions and government was very positive. He said the parties have agreed to work in the best interest of the sugar workers and that proposals were put to the unions in relation to the payment of severance to redundant workers. Harmon explained that it has been agreed that at least 46 per cent of workers earning $400,000 and under will receive their entire severance at the end of this month while the remaining 54 per cent, entitled to $500,000 and over will receive half of their severance now and the remainder during the latter half of the year.

On Friday, the National Assembly approved $1.931B to offset severance payments to the sugar workers. The government through a supplementary budget amended the initial allocation of $1.75B originally tabled for that purpose. Some 4763 workers stand to benefit from four estates (Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara and Wales). Harmon said government is pleased that both sides (unions and government) sat at the table and worked together.

“The President himself set the tone for the meeting and indicated that what he wanted to see is both sides working in the best interest of the worker and in the best interest of the industry. We have committed ourselves in government to allocate the necessary resources to ensure that workers who are severed that they receive their severance pay. I believe that the meeting was characterised by good faith on both sides and that the unions were very forthright and represented the interest of the workers and we appreciate the way in which the meeting went,” said the Minister of State.

New beginning
Similarly, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo described the meeting as “very cordial” and noted that it was the President who set the tone for the meeting. He said there was a “new beginning” for constructive engagements between the two trade unions and the government. He said the President committed to ensuring that as much as possible, his administration could relieve the workers of their worry and that was left up to the Minister of Finance to work out.

“We carried through with the initiative in the National Assembly, we listened to presentations from GAWU and NACCIE and more particularly GAWU, and they have set out a number of issues we could work on,” he said, pointing to the issue of land for sugar workers, training, marketing for products, re-employment within the industry in some related areas, and new collecting bargaining arrangements.

The prime minister said Friday’s atmosphere was cordial, friendly and constructive and “leaves the basis for the continuation of this engagement, so that they should not be any unilateral decisions on major issues that these should come about on the basis of consultations.”

The move by government to alter its supplementary budget to cater to some workers receiving all of their severance payment, the prime minister said is as a result of a compromise. “The compromise was within the affordability of government,” he told the Guyana Chronicle. “It augurs well and I agree with those who said it was a new beginning and of course we have our moments of politicking on issues, but the meeting stayed away from the politics and it was to the serious issues we were discussing,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo stated.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told the Guyana Chronicle that he is pleased with the outcome of the meeting with the unions, while echoing similar sentiments to that of his colleagues. Minister Holder assured that the workers will be paid by the end of this month as government did not have the authority before Friday to pay the workers. “The money would be transferred to GUYSUCO, perhaps next week,” he disclosed.