Wales Estate Closure…Gov’t must immediately undo decision; consequences too dire – Unions

Jan 26, 2016 News

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The decision to close Wales Estate can well affect the progress of the industry therefore, the Government must now act wisely, sensibly and immediately to undo its decision for the consequences are too dire.

This was according to three unions that represent sugar workers within the industry. The unions are the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU); the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), and the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), at a joint press conference held at the NAACIE Head Office on High Street, Georgetown yesterday.
The unions in a statement yesterday pointed out that the decision to close the estate will tremendously impact the progress of the industry in a bad way.
The unions have also stated that it is their considered view that apart from the effects on the workers directly, the closure will also have far reaching economic and social implications. It will be “yet another blow to sugar workers, will put hundreds of workers on the breadline and drive many into impoverishment”.
“…To some extent, it will surely affect, also, the country’s treasury. It has grave implications for the workers, the residents, several communities, and Region Three. The government must now act wisely, sensibly and immediately to undo its decision for the consequences are too dire”.
“We, the Unions operating in the industry urge the authorities, the Corporation and the government not to go this way of closure, but instead to consider a workable plan geared to make the Estate overcome its present difficulties, which, we are sure, can be done”.
The decision to close the estate, they stated,  came as a surprise since it was not in keeping with the relevant recommendation of the Sugar Commission of Inquiry (CoI) “which pointedly saw the need for a study which should guide any closure decision”.
“It also varies from the reported sentiments coming from President (David) Granger, Prime Minister (Moses) Nagamootoo and Minister (Noel) Holder references of which have been previously stated by the GAWU.
“Other voices – from our Unions, individuals and politicians – have also cautioned about closure. Bearing these factors in mind, we find the decision to close Wales Estate rather hasty and indeed strange” the unions stated.
They have also revealed that they were disappointed that Member of Parliament, Komal Chand, who is also a member of GAWU, could not have had the matter debated in Parliament as he sought to do at its session last Thursday.
“…We are of the view that since the closure process has begun, now is the best time for it to be raised in fora like our National Assembly so that a clear mistake can be corrected and another wrong to the workers and others be prevented,” the unions stated.
They continued that at a meeting which was summoned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation Incorporated (GuySuCo) on  January 20, 2016, which saw the attendance by  GAWU and NAACIE, the delegation representing the management and also “ apparently, GuySuCo’s Board”, informed the Unions that a decision has been made to effect the closure of Wales Estate.
“While we do not want to be disrespectful to the delegation sent to bring the disturbing information to us, nevertheless, we feel constrained to observe that they were unable to provide answers germane to the issue. This exercise only served to fuel the feeling that we and the Guyanese public are not getting the full story surrounding this clearly rash decision, uninformed by any credible study,” the unions pointed out.
From statements made, the unions said it is clear that the Government made a “suicidal” decision to close Wales Estate and continued that even though “apparently there is no clear direction to follow regarding the utilization of the lands and the dislocation of hundreds of employees as well as other related questions.”
Therefore the decision is “slipshod and hasty”, something that the President reportedly promised not to do according to the November 1, 2015 Guyana Chronicle, the unions pointed out.
“We are somehow bewildered by Minister Holder who was reported in the Stabroek News as saying that the decision for closure was made by GuySuCo and was contained in the Corporation’s 2016 Budget and Action Plan which was completed last year (2015). This is at odds with what GuySuCo said at its January 20, 2016 meeting with GAWU and NAACIE.
The Corporation told the Unions that the decision was taken recently by the GuySuCo Board”.
The unions made reference to a meeting with GuySuCo’s personnel where the GAWU and NAACIE were informed that the intention was to absorb some of the workers at Uitvlugt Estate, others to be made redundant and some others to be given jobs in a business venture, which they could not tell the unions about.
“Again, we formed the view that the hazy ideas, given the indicators, that the matter was not fully thought out. We also believe that such hazy ideas, in all likelihood, cannot be successfully affected”.
Clearly, there is no worthwhile plan at this time, the unions stated, but if there is a plan then GuySuCo and the Government should make it public.
The estate as recent as two weeks ago was tilling land to be planted, the unions stated. However, had the Estate been identified for closure then such expenditure ought not to have taken place.
“We are aware that during last year, GuySuCo was making efforts to revitalize the Estate and to that end made a number of investments in this regard including the installation of a new drainage pump, the rehabilitation of some areas of the estate’s internal roads, de-silting of kokers, rebuilding of some dams, excavation of some drainage trenches, repairs to the factory’s revetment, etc. Goodness, for GuySuCo, closure is a very costly pursuit”.

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