Sugar crop start marred by West Dem. strikes

Jan 14, 2011 News

– workers expected back today

The crop has just started at one sugar estate but already workers are striking.
Officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday disclosed that over 800 workers, including harvesters and crop husbandry hands, proceeded on strike at West Demerara estates, demanding the payment of a one-week sickness and provident benefit.
This one-week payment would normally be made at the start of every first crop in the new year, which was traditionally in the month of February.
“However, because of the industry’s desperation to maximize every possible day to harvest and grind its canes the crop was started as early as possible, in this case at the start of this week at Uitvlugt. Now, it is no secret that the Corporation does not have cash, made worse by the failure to meet the 2010 sugar production target by such a long margin. As a result, there was/is no sugar to sell overseas to generate money during this period,” one senior GuySuCo manager explained.
With 250 strikes recorded last year, this latest development is one of the worst scenarios that GuySuCo could have been faced with at the commencement of its 2011 operations.
“The frustrating problem of unnecessary strikes continues unabated. This is one of the primary reasons which led to the industry falling short of its target in 2010 and having to carry over so many canes into this crop,” another senior manager complained.
In Berbice, Blairmont Estate is set to have its crop brief today to commence their first crop.
LBI, on the East Coast Demerara, and Albion, in Berbice, are scheduled to commence their crop this weekend.
As of yesterday morning, some 26 tonnes of sugar were declared at Uitvlugt, which for the week adds up to a dismal 92 tonnes produced to date.
Cane has been burnt to load 291 punts. However, a strike by workers from Wales and Uitvlugt will definitely lead to losses in the field, stoppage of grinding at the factory and further losses in the time it takes to mobilize, cut and transport cane back to the factory, not to mention restarting the factory which all adds up in the end result, officials at the Uitvlugt factory said.
Contacted yesterday, a senior executive of GuySuCo argued that the early start to the crop would result in the sugar produced being sent overseas and thereby generating money to pay the workers the one week sickness benefit.
“This was explained in detail to the workers, yet they went ahead to call a strike demanding that they be paid their money immediately. This is truly unfortunate as it seems that despite all the disclosure and meetings with the workers, including the recent meeting with the President at the International Convention Centre, where he went into detail to explain the position of the industry…this has apparently fallen on deaf ears.”
The GuySuCo official pointed out that cognizance must be taken of the fact that the 5% one-off retro payment to workers, announced by the President, had to be made by government as GuySuCo did not have any money.
“This is a year that opportunities cannot be missed, every day of good weather to harvest means more sugar being produced as we move towards making the target of 300,000 tonnes of sugar for 2011, which will see us in a better financial position for the benefit of both workers and the nation.”
The final declaration of sugar for the second crop of 2010 is still to be made as the auditing process has not been completed.
Contacted yesterday, President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, confirmed that workers were on strike, but disagreed with the 800-plus figure given.
“They (GuySuCo) said that they can’t pay the workers now. The crop would normally start in February and these workers came out at Uitvlugt to make an early start. They said that the workers will be paid next week, so the workers are coming out back to work tomorrow (today),” the official told Kaieteur News last evening.
Last year, with a dismal workers’ turnout and record number of strikes, the industry suffered one of its lowest production levels in 18 years forcing government late last year to announce a 5% retro pay for workers who would have been facing the first Christmas without a bonus.
GuySuCo, as indicated, has announced a 300,000 tonnes sugar target this year to counter last year’s 220,000 tonnes. (Leonard Gildarie)

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Sugar crop start marred by West Dem. strikes

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