–  61 retrenched workers rehired, fields being cleared, machines being made operable

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

WITH funding made available from Central Government to facilitate the re-opening of the closed sugar estates, some 61 persons have been rehired so far at the Skeldon Estate, while another 400-plus have registered to be re-employed as of last Wednesday.

This is according to Estate Manager Vishnu Panday, who has been tasked with re-opening and making the Skeldon Estate, which was once considered the single largest investment in the country, profitable.

Panday, who has a wealth of experience in various departments of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), having served as general manager, consultant and board member, is optimistic that the Skeldon Estate can fulfill its initial objective of producing 100,000 tonnes of sugar.

“I know the estate; I know what is required to be done. I have been fortunate to serve in many locations in GuySuCo; I know what has to be done here with regards to re-establishing canes in the cultivation… I believe we have the support and cooperation of not only the Government but the employees,” he said. “We need a national conviction; if we have a common desire and goal, we can make it successful. I am confident and optimistic that we can turn this around,” he added.

According to Panday, everyone has to believe and take ownership of their roles, noting that there must be no segregation or divisiveness, but all working towards a common goal of making the estate and, by extension, the industry profitable, since their livelihood depends on its success.

The estate, when operational, will require no less than 1,500 employees, Panday said, as given its size, 70 per cent of the cane required for the factory will come from the 9,000 hectares under its control, and another 5,000 hectares from private farmers.

Currently, persons are being hired on a needs basis, with priority given to retrenched workers.

NEEDS BASIS

Seven persons have been hired to function at the level of management. All of them were retrenched under the former administration. The other persons that have been recruited are skilled persons and labourers.

When this publication visited the Skeldon Estate, punts that had sunk to the bottom of the canals were being lifted, while the fields with wild canes and vegetation were being burnt.

In addition, bridges, aqueducts, sluices and dams in the cultivation were being accessed and fixed to make them ready as the initial phases of the re-opening works commences.

Over at the factory, the punt dumpers and the front end of the factory are being assessed by a technical team to help accommodate the 350 tonnes of cane per hour the factory was designed to accommodate for maximum performance.

These, in addition to the boilers and the diffusers, are being carefully inspected to be in a state of readiness when the estate restarts production.

The Skeldon Estate is the only sugar factory in Guyana with a diffuser technology that allows for automation. Based on past results, the factory peaked at 86 per cent efficiency on automation, and the team headed by Panday is hoping to push this number higher to ensure the factory realises its true potential.

UPGRADED TECHNOLOGY

However, for this to happen, the factory will be hard-pressed to make use of upgraded technology in its operations. This, he noted, is not about cutting back on human resources.

“We will have to operate 24 hours, and machines will be harvesting the canes in the night. But we need, on each machine, at least two persons. In addition, there is a need to have staff throughout the night. We are not getting rid of employees, but rather we need people around-the-clock to man the machines, as well as subsidise the mechanical aspect. In order for our production to be cost-ffective and generate a profit, we have to embrace technology, while at the same time guarantee jobs for our workers or employees by training them,” he said.

The future plans of the estate include engaging in value-added on sugar, and supplying Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) with reliable power.

Meanwhile, Arjune Latchman, 61, who served the estate for 29 years before he was given a severance letter a few years ago, has been rehired.

“I want to say thank God the incumbent government fulfilled their promise. The re-opening of this estate has brought joy and happiness and hope; basically a second chance to people,” Latchman said, adding: “What I noticed is that the people that are re-hired, they are putting their shoulders to the wheel to work in unity and restore this place, because it means a lot to this community.”

The Skeldon Estate is expected to commence production in 2022. Meanwhile, at the Rose Hall Canje Estate, a total of 105 persons were hired, as work for the re-opening has started. Some 500 severed workers have also registered for re-employment.