Latest update February 4th, 2025 9:06 AM
West Bank villagers march to denounce Wales estate closure
Scores of sugar workers and residents of Patentia took to the streets on Wednesday to object to a decision
GAWU’s Gordon Thomas addresses the crowd.
by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to close the Wales estate by this year end.
According to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the crowd that comprised sugar workers, housewives, children, pensioners, shopkeepers and others numbering about 500, on Wednesday evening marched through 15 streets of Old Patentia, West Bank Demerara.
Patentia, GAWU said, is one of the nearest communities to Wales Sugar Estate.
The crowd carried a banner – “Workers and Residents say: Wales is our lifeline – Don’t close”.
The idea is to appeal the decision to close Wales sugar estate later this year.
The activity that commenced from around 17:30h was conducted under the aegis of the Wales GAWU Branch and lasted just under two hours.
“The workers and villagers marched through several streets then proceeded to the vicinity of the Sugar Factory and then back to the Patentia Housing Scheme. At the Market Square, they gathered to listen to some members from their ranks.”
Several GAWU officials, among them Talat Khan, Gordon Thomas and Mark Khan, addressed the gathering on the impending closure of the estate.
“The speakers focused on the suffering and hardship which would surely affect them should the bad and wrong decision to close the estate holds. Separately, and later in the evening, some members of the Good Intent Assembly of God Church marched from their church to the vicinity of the factory and offered prayers.
“The Church, having among its congregation sugar workers, is undoubtedly concerned about the well-being of the people in the communities whose lives are so closely intertwined with the estate,” GAWU said in its statement.
Cane cutters and residents from Patentia during the GAWU-organized march on Wednesday.
The union, the largest in the sugar industry, noted that the involvement of residents of the villages in protest action is a clear demonstration of the unpopularity of the decision to close Wales estate and the justified concerns that the people have at this time.
“The GAWU Branch Committee is contemplating other activities in ongoing efforts to rescind and ill-thought out decision which will affect hundreds of workers and thousands more indirectly.”
GAWU reiterated that the decision to close the estate is most unfortunate. “The union holds the view that a workable plan is possible to have the estate overcome its present difficulties–steps towards which we are aware have been taken in recent times.
“We join with the residents and the workers to call on the Government to halt pursuit of the decision to close the Estate. The government should not ignore the real consequences that that will affect the future of the workers, their families and the communities.”
Government said that the decision to close Wales this year and transferring the grinding operations to Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, has to do mainly with the fact that the factory is becoming impossible to maintain.
The equipment there is over 100 years old with parts difficult to find. This year, Wales is projected to make up to $1.9B in losses.
GuySuCo, a state-owned entity, has been facing tough times with production sliding consistently over two decades before recovering last year.
However, projected low world prices for sugar is likely to continue for some time with a key inquiry not forecasting good news. It is producing sugar at more than double what it is selling for.
GuySuCo must cut costs to stay afloat. Like last year, Government is set to plug up to $12B into the industry to cover expenses, among other things.
GuySuCo has seven estates and about 16,000 workers on its payroll.
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