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Sugar workers waiting for their promised money

Jan 14, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
I write to express my total disappointment with findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (C01) into GUYSCO. After spending millions of tax payers’ dollars, the first recommendation is to privatize, for this to “start as early as practicable and aim to be completed within a three-year period.” In the mean time all the other recommendations are basically to fatten the goose for its eventual slaughter.
During the election campaign APNU/AFC were busy wooing sugar workers. They promised many of these workers 20% increases in their salaries. They also promised in their Manifesto, “Significant salary increases for government workers, including nurses; teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education; security personnel; civil servants on the traditional payroll.” As promised, these categories got an increase, albeit not a significant one. But the sugar workers have not received their annual wages increase or their Annual Production Incentive.
In the meantime, Commissioner Nowrang Persaud, chairman of the Human Resources and Industrial Relations Subcommittee has shamelessly proposed a wage freeze for all sugar workers. In his words, “the prevailing levels of wages, salaries and fringe benefits should be held at their current levels for at least this year.” As if this was not enough, on page 27 of Volume 1 of the COI report under the caption, “Consideration for reducing cost” we are told of retrenchment of workers or as they put it, “the rationalization and the cut back on the staff in various areas including security, field staff at WI estate and head office staff.” Another measure would be to reduce benefits, as stated in  the following, “to rationalize custom and practice.” APNU/AFC regime needs to stop playing hide and seek. They must expressly state whether they will give the sugar workers their increases and the benefits that are due or if they have imposed a unilateral wage freeze. We the workers will like to know, because the regime’s action will determine what happens next. We await a response.
Christopher Singh

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