— production target still achievable
HUNDREDS of Blairmont Estate workers are expected to resume duties today after protest action on Monday totally shut down operations at the estate at the very beginning of the grinding season. According to Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Paul Bhim, resumption of duties followed a meeting convened at the Labour Ministry on Tuesday night with the Chief Labour Officer and representatives from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), GuySuCo, and Blairmont Estate.
Bhim made this disclosure yesterday in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, wherein he pronounced on the effect the strike had on achieving the 2012 production target of 265,000 tonnes.
He said, “Following the meeting at the Ministry of Labour, it was agreed that the workers would resume duty on Wednesday, but this did not happen; so it is expected that they would begin operations today. This will see the resumption of operations at the Blairmount Estate.”
Bhim indicated he was informed by the union representatives that, following the late conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, the workers were not informed in a timely manner of the decision taken to return to work; hence their delay in resuming work.
GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, contacted yesterday, confirmed that the late conclusion of the meeting was responsible for the delay in the workers’ resumption of duty.
“It was decided at the meeting that the sugar estate workers would return to work on Tuesday, and then the Labour Ministry would visit the disputed area. But the representatives returned late and the message was not delivered early enough. They are expected to resume work on Thursday,” Narine explained.
The protesting Blairmont Estate workers converged before the Administrative Office early Monday morning, calling for the resignation of Estate Manager, Corbette Victorine.
This action caused the estate to be totally shut down, as several categories of workers, including harvesters, cultivators, and factory and workshop operators, among others, joined in the action.

Meeting the target
The GuySuCo CEO remained optimistic that the production target was still reachable; and, more importantly, achievable even after this most recent setback, since it is still early in the grinding season, and operations have begun at other factories.
Last Friday, Bhim informed that grinding had commenced at three sugar factories – Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion. Wales, Sheldon and Enmore are soon to begin grinding. He also confirmed yesterday, that grinding will begin at the remaining estates by this weekend.
“The crop is still not in full swing yet, and operations at the estates are expected to settle down by next week,” Bhim stated.