— as gov’t commits to re-opening closed estates
— struggling retrenched workers look forward to returning to work

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

SINCE the closure of the Skeldon and Rose Hall Sugar Estates in 2017 and 2018, the lives of over 4000 retrenched workers in Region Six took a dreadful turn. Many were forced into despondency, depression and poverty with no income and no available alternative to earn a living.

Many families have been forced to ration their meals and lifestyles in order to cope with the untold hardship and financial drought.

For Manny Ram, 47, a former estate driver and a father of three from Number 77 Village Housing Scheme, his dreams were shattered as he had to abandon the completion of his house when the Skeldon Estate closed its doors.

Standing before the half-completed property, Ram told the Guyana Chronicle that since 2017 to now, he has not been able to find a steady job, but thankfully, he has a kitchen garden that allows him to reap produce to feed his family, along with the once fun fishing trips that have now become a necessity.

Despite the inconvenience of living in an incomplete house, Ram’s main concern is getting a stable job and being able to provide financially for his family.

“Things real tight since the estate close, days go by when me and meh wife would cut down on our meals to ensure the children eat enough. There is not a day I don’t take my bicycle and go around looking for a work,” the former estate driver said.

Ram’s struggles of putting food on the table for his family are the same for most former sugar workers from the Upper-Corentyne.

“Ghost town” is the most common phrase used by many to describe the effect the closure of the estate has on the once-buzzing Corriverton township to the East of Guyana.

Now that a new government has been sworn in and the President as well as the minister of agriculture have committed to re-opening the estates, former sugar workers are beaming with anticipation and renewed hope that the once apparent bleak future now looks promising.

“While we are still putting together the torn fragments, the picture of the industry appears deeply distressing. Once proud men who worked in the sugar industry from sun-up to sundown, never complaining about the back-breaking nature of their jobs, are today barely scratching a living. We intend to raise up the industry and to help it, and its workers resume the once proud place in our economy,” President Irfaan Ali said in his inauguration speech.

OPTIMISTIC

Many have recognised that the estates would not be opened immediately as there is much to be done but are optimistic that the future of the younger generation is in good hands.

“I know the present government as a working class government and I am now at ease to know that the youths will have a better future and not have to undergo what we did recently,” said Intergeet Arjune, 61, a former estate foreman who was also retrenched in 2017.

Arjune has worked at the estate for most of his life, shared stories of relatives whose families separated because the head of the household was unable to provide financially. He noted that the economy of the township and surrounding communities were dependent on the sugar estate and since the closure, their spending power was reduced tremendously and the effects were far-reaching.

“Me ain’t shame fuh tell you, when things start get hard, hard, me wife had to mind we. She lil money that she earned had to go to food and bills until me get one one job somewhere,” said Hemchandra Deonanand.

He said as result of the lack of jobs, retrenched workers were subject to exploitation by many employers.

“Work nah deh nowhere, even construction work, once them know you was a sugar worker them paying you $2,000 or $1,500 a day when you supposed to get a least $3,500 to $4,000 as a labourer. But wait till this open back up, then them gonna want them same workers,” Deonanand said.

The Skeldon, Rose Hall and East Demerara Sugar Estates were closed by the previous administration in a move they claimed that was important to “revitalise” the industry which facing financial difficulties. More than 7,000 workers lost their jobs.

Some of the workers received severance while others were reassigned to other estates to work under conditions which they were forced to accept.

Many in receipt of the cash payouts have expanded their earnings within the first year. Some like Ashargadu Sammi are looking to put in a few years before they retire so that they could receive a livable pension.

He said when he first heard the news of the new government’s plan to reopen the estates, he felt as though a major burden was lifted from his shoulders. He now looks forward to a brighter future.

DOUBLE WHAMMY

Sammi was employed with the estate for 36 years and noted that when he received his severance letter, he was faced with a double whammy.

He said losing a job was tough but immediately after, his wife suffered a stroke and his inability to provide and care for her was devastating. However, with the help of relatives overseas, he managed to get by.

“I’m now 56; I can get another three to four years work before I start get pension. We gon be good. The lil money I received as severance done since the first year. My wife sick and if we didn’t getting money from overseas to help take care of her, I don’t know what we would a do. I
really happy how I hear the estate will open back up. Any work them can get even if is not sugar I glad for because years now I can’t find work,” he said.

Despite promises from the Granger-led government that lands will be provided for the retrenched workers, this did not happen. The Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), the union which represents the sugar workers, described the Granger Government’s treatment of the sugar workers as “heartless”.

“Our union is on record in expressing our dismay as it regarded the callous manner in which the former administration cast aside the industry and the several thousand who depended on its operations. It is not to say that the coalition was not warned. Our union, among others, including President Ali, had warned of the ramifications of the cold-hearted decision. But for our chorus of voices, the APNU+AFC simply chose to ignore the obvious and plunge headlong into the minimisation of the industry without even the slightest clue of how it would address the economic and social fallout. Their actions, which can only be described as heartless, have set back the well-being of thousands,” the union said.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, in a statement, noted the industry will require some $1.6B from now to the end of the year in external funding in order to meet it operational expenses. Despite this, he said the government recognises the role the industry plays and
echoes President Ali’s promise to return the industry to its former glory days.

“The PPP/C Administration will work to revamp the sugar industry and return prosperity to those sugar workers who were sacked by the previous administration,” he said.

The promises of the new government are now what the retrenched workers are holding steadfast to and are hoping that the opening happens sooner than later. They have been challenged from every end and the COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded their plight.