Hundreds protest Rose Hall estate impending closure

May 12, 2017 News

While the coalition government yesterday celebrated two years since taking office, over 1000 sugar workers took to the streets of East Canje in a massive protest action against the planned closure of the Rose Hall Sugar Estate.

Rose Hall Sugar Estate workers protesting yesterday on the streets of East Canje.

The three-hour-long strike saw operations at the estate coming to a standstill, while housewives, business owners and regional officials stood in solidarity with the outraged sugar workers.
The large crowd assembled at the Rose Hall Sugar Estate at 7:00 am but reverted to marching down the main access road gathering a large crowd of spectators.
As the massive crowd marched, the men shouted “No to the closure”.
The protest action comes in light of Agriculture Minister Noel Holder’s announcement on Monday that by year 2017, the nation will see the closure of two more sugar estates, the cut down of annual production, and the medical services offered by the estates turned over to the government.
One worker of the harvesting gang told Kaieteur News that government needs to rethink its decision as the closure of such a major estate will affect the entire country.
“We need the sugar estate. Without this estate, this town can’t function. How you gonna take away jobs from people and you not creating new ones. Dat mek sense?”
Another worker, Marvin Sudoo, a sugar worker for 28 years, stated that government needs to find other alternatives to save the industry.
“If they close this estate, wah we guh do? How me sending me pickney dem to school? How? They tekkin’ way we job and them nah create nun mo”.
Another worker, Glenn McLeod called on the President to listen to the cries of the sugar workers. He stated that Guyana was built on the strong foundation of the sugar industry.
“Is sugar bring everybody hay. Sugar got this country where it is today. When you trimming a tree, you does trim from de top not de bottom. So government need to find another solution to fix this sugar industry. Is the big officials draining the money, not we poor people. And is we feeling the pressure not them”.
One business owner Sherry Beepat, who operates a furniture establishment in Canefield, East Canje, stressed that the closure of the estate will result in the closure of her business.
“A lot of people from the estate buy furniture from my store on terms, so if you tek way these people jobs, how am I getting paid? Is the government so blind they not seeing what these actions are doing to poor people? They are bleeding the poor dry.”
A housewife, Pam Singh, stated that she has to repay the bank every month and this expected closure will leave her homeless.
“Me does gotta pay bank every month. How me gonna pay if me husband nah bring home money gimme. Is Granger gonna pay bank fuh me? Da me want know, ‘cause dem nah see how poor people ah get pressure in this country”.
Regional Chairman David Armagon disclosed to Kaieteur News that action will result in a regional shutdown.
“The sugar workers have realized that government is concrete in their decision to shut down the Rose Hall Estate, and that is why people are out here in their numbers airing their concerns. This small town with be hit by an economic crisis that will result in its shutdown if this estate is closed”.
Armagon noted that “thousands of people will be out of jobs and this will create a ripple effect on the entire country. They are fooling the people by saying alternative employment will be created at the other estates and they are slashing production by 7000 acres, meaning the decrease in the workforce”.
Meanwhile, GAWU”s General Secretary Seepaul Narine who joined the protest line expressed his concerns regarding the future of the sugar workers if the closure plans are executed.
According to Narine “the days ahead are bleak for these sugar workers and their families and also the country as a whole, because government fails to see the major impact sugar is making on Guyana’s economy”.
Narine stated that the estate is one of the main sources of sustenance within the Berbice area and if closed will result in economy taking a further plunge down the deep end.
“We are hoping that good sense will prevail and that government will hear the cries of these sugar workers and listen and try to make life better for them as was promised when they took office”.
The protest actions are expected to continue throughout the upcoming weeks.

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