…Agriculture Ministry says 900 workers part of full list

THE Agriculture Ministry has rubbished the allegation by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) that 900 workers will be placed on the breadline, stating that it is a deliberate attempt to mislead the nation.

GAWU, in a statement days ago, alleged that several hundred workers retained at Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara and Wales Estate will soon be made redundant. “In fact, that sad process of informing the identified workers would begin sometime soon with their redundancy becoming effective not too long from now,” the union stated.

But the Agriculture Ministry in a statement on Tuesday, said the information is nothing but misleading. The ministry clarified that the 900 workers alluded to were included in the originally stated amount when government made its announcement.

“The 900 workers were retained by the corporation to man certain key facilities and structures and to provide security. However, they were aware of that at the end of the extended period that they too would be sent home and paid their severance. These are workers of the Skeldon, Rose Hall and East Demerara Estates that have been closed,” the Agriculture Ministry explained.

It added that the sugar corporation had explained to the workers earmarked for retention that their severance package would have been estimated, and at the end of their period of retention, a final calculation made of what is owed to them.

“The first list of workers for severance was 3,700, which together with the 900 that is now being referred to by sections of the media, adds up to the 4763 severed workers and not an additional 900,” the ministry further explained.

Table showing a breakdown of workers severed per estate.