–scheme reintroduced after being shelved for two years

AFTER a hiatus of more than two years, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will resume payment of the weekly production incentive (WPI), an initiative expected to benefit 6,900 qualified employees from the three operating estates, Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt.
Coming on the heels of industrial action at the three estates, the resumption of this initiative is anticipated to eliminate any remaining acrimony, and provide encouragement to the sugars workers, as GuySuCo continues to reconfigure the industry.
According to information shared with the Guyana Chronicle, thousands of sugar workers across Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will receive their WPI and other incentives for the first crop by tomorrow, March 20, 2021.
At the Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates, some 3,600 qualified employees are expected to receive an additional two days’ pay as WPI, given that both estates would have surpassed their production targets on March 5 and 12, 2021.

Similarly, 3,300 qualified employees from the Albion Estate will receive one day’s pay for surpassing their target on March 5, 2021.
The WPI system was implemented on May 13, 1989, replacing the monthly bonus initiative which was paid for achieving the estates’ set weekly production targets.
Payment of a weekly production incentive is based on the individual estate’s achievement of 100 per cent or more of its weekly target. The targets having been achieved qualifies employees to receive one day’s pay.
Should a particular estate’s production surpass 130 per cent or more, employees would be entitled to two days’ pay.
“Where an estate grinds beyond the scheduled grinding period indicated in the crop’s factory production schedule, the incentive shall be paid, providing the said estate grinds for a minimum of 90 hours per week, during the week, or weeks beyond the scheduled grinding period, and providing also the estate achieves the target(s) set by management for the said extended week(s),” GuySuCo said in a statement shared with this publication on Thursday.

Such target(s), the Corporation said, may be influenced by either availability of canes or the potential of the factory, or a combination of both, as determined by the estate’s managers.
Chief Industrial Relations Manager at GuySuCo, Deodat Sukhu said that the workers are already aware of the criteria to be satisfied before incentives are paid.
“One of the criteria is to work at least four days of the week, and, most importantly, that the factory would have surpassed their respective weekly target. Employees know what they have to do, and we encourage them to continue work beyond four days, to work five days or six days, because the more they work, more canes are sent to the factories to be grounded to achieve those targets, qualifying themselves for incentives,” Sukhu said in a statement.
The enthusiasm and willingness of the sugar workers to satisfy the criteria and receive WPI were expressed by Rafeek Yusuf, a long-serving cane harvester.

‘A GREAT THING’
Yusuf, who has been in the employ of GuySuCo for over 41 years, said: “WPI is a great thing in the estate; it boosts the workforce to come out in large numbers. It is a way of improving production. You find over the years when the WPI was not there, the turnout get very poor; people lose interest in the work. The WPI will boost production and turnout; I feel it is something good. I believe strongly this is good.”
Another sugar worker, Sachin Sooknandan was quoted in a statement as saying: “I just received a day’s pay, and this is something real good, and it will benefit me and my family. It will be better for us; we are going to be more motivated, because my partners are already talking about working harder to make the day’s pay. This is real nice, and we are glad if it can continue, so it will benefit the people in the country. I feel real good what the government is doing, and what we getting right now is real good. Keep it up.”

Safety Officer at the Albion Estate, Kiwani Parks, said, too, that the WPI is an excellent initiative for both the Corporation and workers.
“I’m elated in the sense that we are able to achieve our day’s pay after a long period of time. What you find happening is that persons are motivated when there is something extra; you find that the workforce is motivated when that extra day’s pay is made,” Parks said, adding:
“It is evident. You know, sometimes when you look at the turnout, you will find that it is very low; but when there is a day pay, everybody is hyped up; everyone is interested in working to qualify. Just yesterday [Wednesday], I spoken to one of the harvester gangs, and one of the first things that they asked me was, ‘Are we going to be making another day pay this week?’

I said there was a possibility, but we have to stay positive; we have to continue to work. And the basic thing is that we have to qualify 80 per cent or more of the days to qualify for the day’s pay.”
He further said: “I encourage the workforce out there to come out in their numbers; work hard as possible. And you know, of course, it will be more disposable income, with an extra day pay. I am really happy that the estate is back on track, and not only Albion Estate, but Blairmont and Uitvlugt are also in the position of achieving WPI.” For the first crop of 2021, all three operating estates are expected to produce 42,608 tonnes of sugar.
In a disaggregation of the targets, by estate, Albion is expected to produce 21,573 tonnes of sugar; Blairmont 12,404 tonnes; and Uitvlugt, 8,631.
As of March 12, 2021, some 10,135 tonnes of sugar were produced collectively by the three grinding estates.