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Sugar workers continue strike at Rose Hall, LBI

Oct 21, 2010 News

– real threat some Berbice canes not harvested this year

Despite a countrywide sugar strike being over, two estates continue to be severely affected with cane-cutters staying away from work.
According to officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), yesterday, there was about 95 per cent absence yesterday at Rose Hall, a Berbice estate. Only about 20 of the 480 workers reported for duty.
At LBI, on the East Coast of Demerara, the 260 workers continued their strike actions with only 30 per cent reporting to duty.
It was a worrying situation for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) which faces the very real possibility now of not meeting its revised target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar for the year.
“The current strike action will possibly result in Rose Hall being unable to complete the harvesting of the crop for this year and if such a situation occurs, canes will have to be carried over to the first crop next year, which the Corporation had already stated was most undesirable under any circumstances,” GuySuCo said in a press statement yesterday.
The Corporation was clear that the industry is being severely affected by the prolonged strike action of harvesters attached to the estates of Rose Hall and LBI.
“Even more disappointing is that workers would have again qualified for an extra day’s pay at Rose Hall for achieving their weekly production target last week as part of an increase in production industry wide.”
In a clear appeal for workers to turn out, GuySuCo in its statement yesterday said that it is once again encouraging workers to understand that the reality of the current situation facing the sugar industry since it “dictates that all stakeholders have to play their part to turn the fortunes of the sugar industry around”.
The Corporation maintained that any reasonable offer for wages and salaries increase for this year must be contingent on the industry at least achieving the revised target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar.
“The Corporation is on record (as) recognizing the tremendous support of workers in this regard, however the collective understanding and effort of our workforce is critical towards achieving our common goal.”
The biggest worry for the sugar industry now in meeting its targets for the year is rain. Yesterday, there were scattered showers.
On Monday, sugar workers countrywide downed tools to demand a 15 per cent pay hike.
However, GuySuCo says that any increase is dependent on workers’ full attendance and good weather for the rest of the year.
As of now, the targeted 264,000 tonnes of sugar seems elusive with more than 10,000 tonnes of sugar required weekly until the end of the year, a tall order when taken into consideration that on average less than 8,000 tonnes is being produced weekly.

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