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Sugar workers’ union calls for government’s intervention

Dec 16, 2010 News

With just more than a week to go before Christmas, the country’s largest sugar workers’ union has made a last ditch appeal for Government to intervene in a stalemate over wages increase.
Sugar workers, in what may be first in decades, are facing the very real prospect of not being paid their production bonuses and an expected increase that would have been a norm over the years.
This is because the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has claimed that it is cash-strapped as a result of the lowest production in decades along with a crippling price cut by its biggest customer in Europe.
Following a week-long strike last month, GuySuCo has said it is prepared to pay the annual one week Holiday With Pay incentive but is unable to pay any increases this year.
On Tuesday, the union said that GuySuCo should be reminded that it is resolved to continue representing, in a principled way, its membership in the cause of fairness and economic justice in the sugar sector.
Noting the Corporation’s decision to pay workers their usual annual second one-week Holiday-with-Pay, which is the employees’ legal entitlement, before this year-end, GAWU said that the question of payment of increased wages and the 2010 Annual Production Incentive (API) remain unsettled.
“GAWU remains committed to these just demands of sugar workers. We note the increases awarded to other sector workers and welcome these though in today’s circumstances we can support an even bigger increase for them noting the cost of living.” However, the union said it is unfair that an important segment of Guyana’s workforce is left out in the cold.
“They (sugar workers) too deserve wage increases. We urge GuySuCo, its Directors and other relevant state officials to renew its stated positions thus far and ensure workers are not denied wage increases or their API.”
As a responsible bargaining agent, GAWU said that it is reiterating its position that a reasonable increase in pay retroactive to January 1, 2010 is necessary and possible if GuySuCo is serious about worker-morale in the industry.
“Workers expect a positive response from GuySuCo. GAWU believes that GuySuCo is well aware that the sugar industry is vital to our nation’s economy and workers constitute one of the main pillars of the industry. It is appropriate to respect that without them no plan, no matter how good, will gain traction.”
GAWU also hinted of other players in the negotiations that may be interfering in the process.
“GAWU is realistic and not unaware of the interventions or interferences by other players. Such non-industry players can, at times, negatively impact on the industry and industrial relations.
It is disheartening to see, in the midst of the Christmas season, the sugar workers being treated so shabbily.”
The union slammed a tribunal award a year ago which granted a “miserly” three percent increase.
“One year ago, sugar workers were wondering what would be their fate for Christmas 2009 and the New Year.
The Gobind Ganga Tribunal had awarded them a miserly three per cent increase and even that payment had a delayed pay-out date until better sense prevailed.”
The union appealed for sugar workers not to be denied this month. “The ball is in GuySuCo’s court and the union stands ready to support, in the workers and their dependents interest, any wise counsel that prevails.”

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