‘Industrial calm’ expected with Labour Minister’s intervention

Aug 28, 2008 News

GAWU/GuySuCo wages dispute…

By Tusika Martin

The intervention of the Ministry of Labour in the wages negotiation between the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will hopefully lead to ‘industrial calm,’ Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud said yesterday.
The Minister told the media that he is happy that the Labour Ministry has intervened in the issue.
“I had hoped very early that the negotiations would have concluded without having any strike action or loss of production and loss of revenue…we have since gone beyond that…since the intervention of the Ministry of Labour…and we do hope that this will result in industrial normalcy within the industry.”
It is very critical that Guyana produces as much as it can within the sector, the Minister said.
One of the factors that have to be taken into consideration is weather.
“Every opportunity that we give up means that the challenge of producing and meeting our target becomes a bit more difficult,’ he added.
According to Persaud, it was recognised that workers also have to be adequately remunerated.
GuySuCo has always been committed to ensuring its budgetary ability to pay the best it can to its employees, Minister Persaud said.
On Tuesday, GAWU announced the cessation of field and factory operations within the GuySuCo’s sugar estates in Berbice and Demerara.
The reinstituted industrial action was as a result of the failure of negotiations between the Union and GuySuCo to resolve the differences in relation to an increase in pay.
At the same time, the Ministry of Labour declared a deadlock in the negotiation.
The parties thereupon met bilaterally to discuss the demand. They met on seven occasions, but could not reach an agreement.
GuySuCo is contending that there was no official notification by GAWU of any intentions of instituting a strike.
This, the company noted, is in violation of the grievance procedure that stipulates for the Union to provide 72 hours notice, in writing, of its intention to proceed on strike.
The estimated loss of production for this week is slated to be some 7,000 tonnes of sugar and would amount to loss in revenue of almost some $840M.
The strike is reminiscent of similar action taken by workers at Albion late last week, and at Enmore, LBI and Wales, a fortnight ago.
Chief Labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel intervened in the labour dispute on August 18, and after holding three meetings with the two entities, declared a deadlock on Monday with the Union demanding an increase in pay of 14.25 per cent and the Corporation offering 5.25 per cent.
According to GAWU, workers have been experiencing a significant rise in the cost-of-living.
Soured wage negotiations between the company and GAWU resulted in workers taking a standoff since last Wednesday.
GuySuCo is contractually obligated to supply its main European customer with 55,000 tonnes of sugar by September 5.
Failing to meet this obligation would see the corporation losing US$70 for every tonne of sugar not supplied by the date to that particular market.
Presently, the corporation has shipped 16,400 of the 55,000 tonnes. (Tusika Martin)

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