Latest update February 14th, 2025 8:22 AM
SILWFC demands promised wage increase
– Labour Ministry picketed, Nadir flays GAWU for illegal action
SILWFC workers and GAWU officials picketing the Ministry of Labour yesterday for a promised salary/wage increase.
By Leonard Gildarie
In what appears to be an emerging spate of industrial action to hit Guyana in recent times, workers of the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee (SILWFC) picketed the Ministry of Labour yesterday accusing management of that body of refusing to pay a salary increase agreed to earlier this year. However, Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir deemed the strike action by GAWU as not only illegal, but unwarranted.
“The matter at hand was clearly not discussed between the Board/Management (SILWFC) and the GAWU. No strike or protest action was necessary.
As Minister of Labour, I am concerned that unions are resorting to the strike mechanism even before they test the grievance procedure that exists in their CLAs (Collective Labour Agreements). I am calling on all parties to respect the agreements that they have; respect both in the letter and the spirit.”
Some 25-odd workers, led by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), stood outside of the Water Street office of Minister Nadir, waving placards and demanding that they get their increase before Christmas.
GAWU President, Komal Chand, who was present with the workers, said that in May of this year, SILWFC agreed to a nine percent wage/salary increase to all employees up to the level of Senior Clerks, and eight percent for those above that level.
However, according to Chand, SILWFC’s Chairman, Dindyal Permaul, is questioning the validity of the agreement.
Permaul replaced former Chairman, Mohamed Akeel, on the Board of SILWFC earlier this year.
“Despite reminders to SILWFC by the union and the employees who have been seeking, for months now, to get their new rates of pay retroactive to January 1st, 2009, honoured, they have not been provided with any answers,” the union official said.
GAWU said that from information, the current Chairman is seeking to renege on the agreement.
“It would be impossible for him to succeed because the agreement…is legally enforceable.”
On May 25, SILWFC’s Administrative Manager, Deolatchee Ramotar, in a letter to the union, acknowledged the increases and said that members agreed to it during a meeting on May 21, 2009.
The letter also said that cycle allowance would be increased by $500 per week; while employees below the level of Senior Clerk shall receive a Christmas bonus of $28,000 and those above will be entitled to $35,000 each. Meal allowances were to be increased from 8%, the letter said.
Chand said that over the past months, GAWU has talked with the management of SILWFC several times.
“The body does not have a cash flow problem like GuySuCo. As a matter of fact, it is independently managed and for every tonne of sugar shipped from Guyana, $500 goes to the fund.”
According to Chand, yesterday in a “hurried manner” before the picketing exercise, SILWFC’s management issued a letter telling the union that it is considering the issue.
‘The Chairman of SILWFC seems to be in a state of wilderness. He is sleeping. We have a letter from management on the increases. What are we waiting for? “
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