SUGAR WORKERS NEED A MIRACLE

Dec 16, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

By now it should have been already decided whether sugar workers, particularly cane cultivators, will be the beneficiary of a special intervention by the President of Guyana.
Rumours have been circulating that there is the possibility of something being done for the cane cutters, considering the difficulties that they will face in providing for their families this Christmas. It has been suggested that given the anticipated windfall this year again from VAT that some of these resources could be used to give the cane cutters a one- off bonus since they will not be receiving any increase this year nor will they have any annual increase this year due to an underperforming industry.
The plight of the sugar workers must be contrasted with that of the Disciplined Services who this Christmas will enjoy a back pay of five per cent plus the usual one month special bonus which is usually announced by the Head of State. This extra one month salary works out to an additional 8.5 per cent. Thus in total the members of the Disciplined Services will receive a total back pay/ bonus of 13.5 per cent.
The sugar workers have nothing to look forward to this Christmas. There has been a promise of a one -off payment but this will hardly be enough to tidy them over the holidays.
As such many of them are hoping for a miracle in this the Season of miracles. They are hoping that the government will see it to give them something. They have been reduced to hoping because their union cannot do anything to force the hands of the corporation.
The union called industrial action recently but this has not budged the sugar corporation who it must be said, is in dire financial straits really cannot afford out of its revenues to pay any API or salary increase. This is why sugar workers may be looking towards the government to make a special award to be paid from the Consolidated Funds which is now overflowing with VAT funds.
The problem that the government faces is to dole out assistance to the workers. Firstly, it will create an anticipation within the industry that if the workers do not perform that the government should intervene to assist them at Christmas. No government wants to do this.
Secondly, the sugar workers have to be paid from the proceeds of their corporation and cannot expect the government to be making transfers. The workers can however counter that for years the bauxite industry was being subsidized by the government to the tune of billions of dollars; so too has the water sector and so too has been the electricity sector. Billions of dollars were transferred to these sectors to keep them afloat and billions more are still being provided for electricity and water.
On the other hand, the government may wish to consider that there is a major problem with labour within the industry. There continues to be a poor turnout within the industry and therefore some incentive has to be provided to ensure that the industry which has always been heavily reliant on manpower, continues.
The government has already said that sugar is too big to fail. Well if sugar is too big to fail, then steps have to be taken to ensure that the most critical element of the industry, the workers are motivated to produce.
As such, the government should seriously consider offering a one-off bonus to the field and factory workers, but excluding middle and upper management to help them over the holidays while at the same time serving as an incentive for future production.
Perhaps an agreement can be hammered out whereby a one-month bonus can be paid to the workers, contingent upon each one of them having a minimum 75 per cent attendance next year.
The one month bonus can therefore be tied to the workers making a 75 per cent attendance. If they do not, then the bonus has to be treated as a debt owed to them by the corporation payable from whatever earnings they make. This should not be too easy to arrange.
The benefit of such arrangement is that its shows a commitment by the government to the workers and at the same time commits the workers to ensuring a high attendance record for the next crop. The workers will be happy for the holidays and have an incentive to come out in their numbers next year to boost the industry.
Can it be done? Yes, it can!

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SUGAR WORKERS NEED A MIRACLE

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