The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco), on Tuesday, inked an agreement to end the ongoing strike and protest action by the Blairmont Estate factory workers.

The agreement follows a meeting with the two parties and the Department of Labour (DoL) of the Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP) on Wednesday.

The two sides were invited by the DoL to begin conciliation proceedings after the estate workers resumed protest action last Monday. The employees had first begun a picketing exercise outside of the estate’s administrative office last Wednesday. The employees and GAWU are contending that an employee was unfairly promoted above other deserving employees.

“The department, which was represented by Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Charles Ogle, among others, sought to hear from the union and the corporation what factors are at the root of the dispute that mushroomed into protest action by the workers,” a statement from the MoSP said.

It added: “The GAWU, through its General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, explained what transpired and the circumstances which forced the workers into protest action. GuySuCo, through its representatives, also explained their version of the matter. Following those explanations, it was agreed that the dispute would be addressed by the ministry at the conciliation level with the parties.”

Under the terms of reference (ToR), it was agreed that the parties will deal with the issue through conciliation under the chairmanship of the department, with meetings expected to begin from October 30 at 14:00hrs.

At that meeting, each side is expected to put forth and defend their contentions. The ToR also stipulates no victimisation by either side.

“The union and the workers are hopeful that the conciliatory proceedings will ensure that justice is meted out and the corporation would respect its own long-standing procedures and practices. The workers have shared the view that their demands are principled and just and all they seek is fair and equitable treatment,” the MoSP statement further noted.