Developing GUYSUCO and Guyana

Sep 17, 2008 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The Government must listen and talk directly to sugar workers, cane farmers and their Labour Union and farmers’ organisation about GUYSUCO’s proposed “Strategic Development Plan.”

Sugar workers’ and GAWU’s demands for 14.75% wage increase are just and reasonable.
Fear mongering and threats of closing down estates will not increase production and reduce cost.

GUYSUCO’s elites should stop the scare tactics and misinformation about GUYSUCO and its ability to pay these workers. GUYSUCO’s Human Resource Director told the press conference at Herdmanston House that it is not a situation where the corporation is insensitive to workers’ concerns but that it is not in a position to meet the 14% demand by the main sugar union, GAWU. It was posited that such an increase would result in “bankruptcy” for GUYSUCO.

Company Chairman, Ronald Alli said that GUYSUCO was implementing a mechanization strategy which is in the process of reducing the work load of field workers. Alli added that the strenuous cut and load system was being done away with.

Can management tell the sugar workers and Guyanese what were the salaries and allowances in 1992 for GUYSUCO board of director, administrative, field, factory, office, manager, etc…, in each estate and what are their salaries now plus allowances? Include the cost for Booker Tate consultant management fee. I am sure we can save a lot on cost here.

The previous government used to use slogans like “produce or perish”, but the working people, especially in the sugar industry, produce and still perish. And it looks like the present GUYSUCO elitists want to continue this trend. Some officials are saying if this strike continues the government will be forced to close down the LBI and West Demerara estates.

This threat about closing down Demerara Estate is not new; it was first made known in 1997, when the then Minister of Finance agreed and signed a letter “of intent to close down Wales Estate in December 1997 and later the other Demerara Estate”.

Recently, the Minister of Agriculture said that there is a shortage of labour in the sugar industry because there is higher education in Guyana. This is an insult to all sugar workers, their unions and cane farmers and their family.

The reason for low sugar production and shortage of labour are poor management, poor working conditions, unilaterally reversing and eliminating of workers hard won benefits/services, no workers participation in management (Works council) and little or no respect for sugar workers.

Sugar workers, especially field and factory workers, deserve better pay and social services. You see every day a sugar worker goes to work and produce.

I hope President Jagan’s party and this government see to it that sugar workers and all working people get a fair wage and social justice in Guyana. President Jagan used to tell us that, while we got political democracy, the working people, especially sugar workers, bauxite workers, GPL workers and civil servants will have to fight for industrial and trade union democracy and social justice.

GUYSUCO can afford to pay these sugar workers an increase of 14.75% and still make profits and earn valuable foreign currency for all Guyana.

To reduce the cost of production and increase production of sugar, the government and GUYSUCO elite should do the following.

1 – The Government and GUYSUCO should immediately have meaningful, honest consultations and discussions with the workers and all sugar workers’ unions (recognised and non-recognised) and cane farmers and cane farmers’ associations about the GUYSUCO modernisation plan and include the workers and farmers’ views in this plan.

2 – The Government should terminate or not renew Booker Tate management contract.

3 – The Government should immediately re-introduce workers/management committee in each and every department. Please note President Burnham introduced workers council in GUYSUCO and President Jagan said he will develop it to workers management and control. See the booklet “Rooting For Labour” and the Foreword that was written by Moses Nagamootoo, (page 28), where President Jagan gave NAACIE representation on the GPL Board.

4 – The Government with the help of the workers’ committee and union review all operations of GUYSUCO and all management salary, allowances, etc.., with a plan to reduce all management salary to the 1992 scale and then give them a 50% to 100% increase on that salary based on 1992 scale with merit.

5 – The Government should calculate and total up all the unjust sugar levy tax on GUYSUCO over the years and give back the unjust sugar levy tax money to GUYSUCO. This sugar levy money can be used to pay the sugar workers their retroactive profit sharing scheme bonus, that was set up and awarded by the Justice Crane Arbitration in 1975, and the remainder will be used by GUYSUCO to retool and improve operations to increase production of sugar and at the same time reduce the cost of production by increasing productivity. (Justice Crane’s formula for GUYSUCO profit, 12.5% for current capital/retooling and the remainder divided, 60% to workers and 40% to Government/GUYSUCO).

6 – The Government, GUYSUCO and the workers’ unions should review the SILWF operations, with a plan to improve and provide the necessary housing and other social services to all sugar workers, especially pensioners and sugar workers with over five years un-interrupted service.

7 – GUYSUCO must stop donating sugar cane land to the Government and private sector. The Government, GUYSUCO and the Workers’ Council should do an audit on all the sugar cane land that was donated/sold to non sugar workers and determine the price for these lands. The Government should ask the people who got these lands to pay the market value for these lands or the Government pays. This land sale money can be used on GUYSUCO and the SILWF to help sugar workers get house lots, loans and direct and indirect benefits and wages. The scripture said, ‘love your brothers as thyself’. It did not say more than thyself. There are many sugar workers with over five to 45 years service, who did not get house lots.

8 – The Government and GWI should and must pay GUYSUCO and the SILWF for all the water pumps and wells they unilaterally took over and gave to GWI. This was a service (water) given to qualify sugar workers housing scheme. The government unilaterally took away this hard won service from sugar workers.

9 – The Government and GUYSUCO should revitalize the Port Mourant Training Centre and select sugar workers and their children to attend this training centre.  This will encourage young people to work in the sugar estates. Field workers should be given the first offer to move to factory, tillage, office, field work, shop, etc…This will also attract young people, especially sugar workers’ children to work with GUYSUCO.

10 – GUYSUCO should offer six scholarships to each estate, for workers and their children to attend UG and do Management courses, Office Procedure and PC computer courses, and six scholarships to each estate for workers and their children to attend the Mon Repos Agriculture School to do animal husbandry, agronomy, etc… You see with all the above suggestions, I am sure GUYSUCO can afford to pay all sugar workers increased wages, have better working conditions, better working/industrial relations, increase production, increase productivity and better management and there will be no shortage of labour.

All for the development of GUYSUCO and Guyana! 
Balram Balkarran

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