Rose Hall sugar workers strike again

Nov 24, 2009 News

…after GuySuCo withdraws day pay

Yet another strike has crippled the sugar industry, as almost 3,000 workers from the Rose Hall estate withdrew their labour.

The workers resorted to strike action on Sunday when the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) withdrew a day’s pay earned by the workers for not producing sugar to meet the week’s Weekly Production Incentive (WPI) target of 1,350 tonnes.

However, late yesterday afternoon, GuySuCo decided to pay the workers. When contacted yesterday, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Errol Hanoman told Kaieteur News that the sugar company had investigated the matter, as the technical team, comprising of auditors had to check the figures to verify whether or not the workers met the WPI.

Hanoman said there is a view that the WPI was not met by the workers, but the figures indicated differently, and thus workers were paid.

“We don’t want to rush and pay and then a mistake is made at a cost of $6 million,” Hanoman said.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in a press statement issued yesterday stated that the workforce was astonished when they learnt of GuySuCo’s decision.

GAWU was very disappointed with the initial decision by GuySuCo in the first instance.

“Often workers are criticised for resorting to industrial action. GuySuCo always seeks to exonerate itself from creating, aiding and abetting the conditions for workers to embark on industrial action/s, but here is a classic case of manipulation by the Corporation to deprive almost 3,000 workers of about $6 million of hard earned incentive,” the union stated.

GAWU explained that as of Saturday, the Rose Hall estate produced 33,855 or 91.5 per cent of it’s production target (36,993 tonnes) for 2009.

According to the Union, the industry is struggling to meet it’s revised target of 248,668 tonnes of sugar for this year, having produced 224,571 tonnes as at Saturday.

GuySuCo also expressed disappointment in GAWU and the workers in resorting to strike action without allowing due process to be followed in addressing their grievance.

Over the past few months, there have been several strike actions by sugar workers across the country. There is a continuing battle between GuySuCo and GAWU over increased wages and salaries for sugar workers.

Currently, the two parties are at arbitration.