…disruptive behaviour leads to failed meeting
Dear Editor,
The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) has taken note of the insincere representations in the press statement released by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) regarding the Corporation’s alleged abandonment of wages talks.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. wishes to set the record straight regarding the occurrences at the meeting yesterday, October 29, 2019.

The meeting was scheduled with both the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), at which the Corporation had undertaken to present the Corporation’s production, financials and marketing outlook by the Finance Director along with the Corporation’s perspectives and plans towards growth and in sustaining the Industry by the Chief Executive.

The meeting was initially scheduled to commence promptly at 09:30 hrs. However, just minutes before the scheduled commencement, the GAWU General Secretary called informing GuySuCo that the members from the Berbice delegation were late and requested postponement to a 10:00hrs start.

The meeting did not commence until 10:15 hrs. The Corporation’s representative reminded the Unions’ delegations that he had informed the Unions on Friday October 25, 2019 of the need to have a prompt start.

The GuySuCo’s delegation was led by its Chief Executive, along with its Finance Director, and the two officers from the Industrial Relations Unit. The GAWU was led by its President and it’s General Secretary, along with 18 members, whilst the NAACIE was led by its General Secretary along with 12 members.

The Finance Director was making his presentation when it was observed that the Unions’ delegation had begun to pin placards bearing slogans upon the front of their shirts.
The Corporation paused its presentation and requested the Unions Leadership to desist from such behavior, and to remind their delegations that the parties ought to be meeting under a cordial and stable environment and not under duress. Further, that the parties should exhibit respect for each other, and while one recognised their right to protest, the Unions and their delegations should be fully aware that it was not the time and place to do so at a scheduled meeting within the Corporation’s premises.

The Corporation’s team, after advising the Unions on the criteria to have the meeting continue under a cordial environment, left the room, giving the Unions time to deliberate and clear the path for normalcy and for the meeting to continue.
Upon re-entering the room, the GAWU President informed that he found it difficult to accede to the Corporation’s request, and advised that the meeting should continue in the interest of the employees with the Company. He insisted that they were not going to remove the placards, and that he “saw nothing wrong in continuing the meeting with the Unions delegations wearing the placards”.

The Corporation advised the Unions that their actions have brought the meeting into disrepute with their protest and picketing, which had led into duress and that the parties cannot be duly engaged under any of those circumstances. The Unions were again given another chance to remove the placards, but again they insisted in being within the Corporation’s premises bearing placards and at the same time expecting the Corporation’s Senior Executives to proceed with their respective presentations amid the discord.

The Corporation, after one hour with no positive movement from the Unions, finally advised the Unions’ Leadership and their respective delegations that their protest and picketing actions during our engagement had brought the meeting to a halt, for it was not normal industrial relations practice to be engaging while one party is being held under duress by the other parties. Further, that the actions of the Unions and their delegations represented a departure from the spirt and established practices of collective bargaining.

Due to the aforementioned disruptive actions, the Corporation was not given the opportunity to share essential information with the unions and their delegations, as it intended, on the Corporation’s production, financials, marketing outlook, perspectives and plans towards growth and sustainability of the Industry.

The Corporation will be formally communicating to the two unions leadership its disappointment and concerns regarding their actions and the representatives who have engaged in such discourteous behaviour at a critical meeting within the premises of the Corporation.

Regards,
Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc.