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East Demerara Estate cane planters denied work for over a month

Apr 09, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The cane planters of East Demerara Estate (Enmore Estate and LBI Estate) for more than four (4) weeks now are being directed by the GuySuCo Management to engage in cane cutting tasks. For clarity sake, we hasten to point out yet again that the two (2) tasks are significantly different and cane-cutting assignments are not among the usual tasks which the planters are given whenever they are not required to plant canes.
Furthermore, the Agreement between the Union and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) stipulates:- “[w]hen the planting season ends, management must ensure that the planters are provided with five (5) days’ productive work per week until the end of harvesting”. To that end, on March 24, 2017 a GAWU delegation met with members of the Corporation’s Industrial Relations Department and the Estate Management.
That meeting concluded with GuySuCo’s assurance that the planters would be offered alternative work, like engagement in the factory, rat baiting, infield weeding, and canal cleaning. Lo and behold, contrary to the undertaking, the workers, on their arrival to work on March 27, 2017, were advised by the Management of the Estate that only cane-cutting tasks would be provided to them. In addition to this violation of an understanding agreed upon in a matter of days, the workers are calling on GuySuCo to give them the required payment for the days GuySuCo has denied them work opportunities.
The planters are being given a raw deal and are highly disillusioned by the Management’s unlawful and clearly unsympathetic attitude to a just cause of the workers. The Corporation’s adamant stance that they must cut canes which for them is difficult due to several factors is reminiscent of the dark past in the sugar industry. The workers have related to our Union that they have their families to take care of and the Corporation’s stance is surely going to contribute to an already trying situation in the home for ends to meet.
The workers are also perturbed that a request by the Union to the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder for a meeting to discuss their concerns remains unanswered at this time. GAWU’s request to meet with Minister Holder follows an engagement between the Union and some of the planters with the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott on March 27, 2017. At that meeting, Minister Scott suggested to the Union that it write the Agriculture Minister to seek an audience with him since he is charged with responsibility for GuySuCo. Our Union and the workers having given consideration to Minister Scott’s suggestion subsequently wrote Minister Holder
As our experience with Wales has shown, the cessation of cane planting is a first step in fulfilling the plans for closure. Against such a backdrop, it follows that the cane planters’ jobs can now be reasonably determined as becoming redundant and they are, therefore, entitled to their severance payments. As we have seen at Wales, such payments, though lawful, are not readily being honoured by the Corporation and the workers consistent struggle will be required for their justifiable demand.
Our Union and the workers are of the firm view that the Corporation is engaging in coercive action to have the workers engaged in certain unusual tasks of which they are resentful or unable to perform. The availability of jobs is becoming scarcer and the alternative plans touted by GuySuCo, as Wales has demonstrated, still require much greater examination and thought. Implementation is impossible given the available information. Our Union reiterates, once again, that the sugar industry can overcome its difficulties and become viable with the present workforce, a capable management and a supportive Government.
GAWU
Communications Department

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