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Sugar workers strike to protest reintroduction of “piece rate” system

Oct 07, 2010 News

Thirty sugar cane workers from the mechanical tillage gang at the Wales Estate have been on strike since Monday last, over the implementation of the “piece rate” system.
President of Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, told Kaieteur News that the workers have gone on strike, because they are requesting some extra payments for work they have completed.
He said that the workers are tractor operators and if they are tasked with ploughing three rows of beds or more, they need to receive higher payments.
According to Chand, the strike has not affected production, but it is affecting ploughing of the land for future production. It is the dry season and the workers need to “push in” enough work to satisfy the required needs.
Chand informed Kaieteur News that the union is supportive of the strike and that Guyana sugar corporation (GuySuCo) and representatives of GAWU have met to consider the union’s request. He indicated that GuySuCo has agreed to pay the workers if the problem is resolved in their favour.
Chand stated that the workers will continue to strike until the matter is resolved.
However, GuySuCo’s senior communication officer, Rommel Roopnarine, stated that the corporation has amended the time rate system and has now replaced it with the piece rate system.
He indicated that the time rate system is where the workers work for the day and money is guaranteed, but there has not been enough productivity, thus the piece rate has been out of the system for a while and has now been reintroduced at the Wales Estate. He noted that all the other estates have already implemented the system.
Roopnarine said that the workers are not in opposition to the piece rate system that has been implemented, but he is insisting that they will be paid according to how they execute given tasks.
The officer indicated that GuySuCo and GAWU will be meeting on October 12 to sign an official agreement and he is encouraging the sugar workers to halt the strike.
He added that the strike has affected production and the workers should allow their representatives to resolve the matter, so as to strengthen the sugar production in Guyana.

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