— GAWU head wants to hear “positive word” from government before withdrawing court matter

SEVERAL dozens sugar workers who worked at the Wales Sugar Estate on Thursday morning staged a picketing exercise outside the Ministry of the Presidency, as they called on President David Granger to intervene to ensure they receive their severance benefits.
According to the workers, the exercise was staged against the backdrop that severance payments were paid to workers at estates in Berbice.

In August 2016, approximately 100 workers of the Wales Estate signed a petition calling on the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) to withdraw a court order that effectively blocked them from receiving their severance packages from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Earlier that year, an agreement was made to commence payment of the severance packages by May that year to workers who opted not to work at the Uitvlugt Estate, following the closure of Wales several months earlier.
However, just before the scheduled date for payment of the severance packages, GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) sought and received an order of the court which stopped GuySuCo from making the payments.

GAWU President Komal Chand who was on the picket line on Thursday, expressed hope that the courts will assign a date for the matter to be called.
However, a hopeful Chand said that if the issue is addressed by the Government “positively” the union will withdraw the matter from the courts.

Chand said the union is aware that there are companies which are interested in purchasing the closed estates, including Enmore and, according to him while the union is not supporting privatisation, it is willing to face such a reality.
“We are hoping that that will happen because there are not many jobs out there and many people who are trained in vocation that the Government is advocating,” he said.
He said for cane harvesters to become farmers, they will have to consider several factors, including markets and facilities.

Chand said GAWU is not ruling out options put forward by the authorities, and he cautioned that it would not bring immediate relief to the workers to sustain their standard of living.
“We have to see what flow from here, but we are not going to let down on the workers matters,” an optimistic Chand said, noting that GAWU will continue agitating for the Wales workers to be paid.

Romeo Charles told Guyana Chronicle that he worked at Wales for over 20 years and according to him, his severance will bring much relief to him and his family.
He said he is aware of the matter being before the courts but according to him, not much is being communicated to him and his colleagues.

He said he was told that on Wednesday several workers who remained at Wales, including security and senior staff, received their payments. Charles said since the closure of the estate, he has been undertaking various jobs but he noted that his severance will bring relief to him and his family of eight.

“Many a days I can’t send my son to school and all we asking the Government to do is put a foot into it to see we get the severance,” the man added.
Telicia (only name given) was out to support her husband. She said her husband worked at Wales for 16 years and according to her, the family was depending on the severance to plan their next move.

“We have to send children to school and it is usually be very hard for us,” she said.
The union and workers later took their protest action downtown, outside the High Courts.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo noted in August 2016 that based on advice received from GuySuCo, the sugar company was prepared to pay the severance to the affected Wales workers. Money has been set aside for that purpose, but the company could not violate the court’s order.

Similarly, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder confirmed at the time that GuySuCo was prepared to effect the payment, should the court order be lifted.
On Thursday, several workers told the Guyana Chronicle that the option remains in the hands of GAWU and Chand, to withdraw the matter from the courts in order for them to receive their benefits.