GuySuCo is a like a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Jun 24, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) refers to a letter titled “GuySuCo is inviting sugar workers who feel misled to meet with management” which appeared in the June 22, 2017 edition of Kaieteur News.

The letter, under the hand of the Corporation’s Senior Communications Officer Ms Audreyanna Thomas, is seen by us as yet another public relations stunt employed by the sugar company in an effort to again denigrate our Union for its unrelenting, principled stance in defending the rights of thousands who stand to be affected by the ill-conceived plans for the sugar industry as being advocated by the GuySuCo.

From the Corporation’s letter it seems that the Union-organised protests at several estates are getting under the not-too-thick skin of the Corporation and its handlers.

Our most recent activity at Albion on June 20, 2017 attracted an appreciable turnout and demonstrates the disagreement, shared not only by workers and their families but from the wider communities, with the plans for sugar which will definitely pose severe and grave challenges to their livelihoods.

Ms Thomas, in her letter, referred to the State Paper which speaks to the continued operation of Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates. But she does not speak about the threats to close Uitvlugt which was announced even before the ink on the State Paper had dried.

Nor did she speak about the closure of LBI Estate in the latter half of 2016 on the grounds of consolidating Enmore and then the about-face a few months later which we learnt of on December 31, 2016 and which confirmed in the State Paper that that Enmore Estate would also be closed.

Such contradictory statements do not repose much confidence in the State Paper and the utterances of GuySuCo. The GuySuCo officer may recall not-too-long after the announcement of the Wales closure, we were informed by Guyana’s highest official that in all likelihood no more estates would be closed. Then, a few months after, we were advised that more estates needed to be closed. Obviously, credibility is seriously lacking.

Our Union nevertheless is supportive of all plans which will secure the sugar industry. But at the same time cannot lend a supporting voice to plans which will wreck lives and imperil entire communities as we have seen playing out at Wales.

The Communications Officer may be interested to know that during the publicizing of our recent Albion activity we met a vendor who resides at Wales and had plied his trade at the Wales market, and who is now being forced to conduct his business at the Port Mourant market as a result of the depressing state-of-affairs that have gripped the communities linked to Wales Estate. He expressed his fear and apprehension should further estate closures be implemented.

We ask how any right-thinking organization can offer its support to such a plan.
Ms Thomas speaks about the securing of the industry through its non-sugar diversification programme. But this aspect seems to have suffered a still-birth. As far as we are aware apart from the planting of rice in some areas of the Wales nothing else is being done.

Furthermore, our anxieties in this area are heightened after we read Mr Tony Vieira’s letter which also appeared in the June 21, 2017 Stabroek News. Even the heavily promoted aquaculture venture, Ms Thomas spoke so eloquently about, had cold water thrown on it by Mr Vieira.

While Ms Thomas spoke about workers being given lands to engage in agriculture production, this seems to be a pipe dream. At this time, no worker has been given any land as far as we are aware in this often touted intention which by itself poses critical questions.

The Corporation, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, goes on to speak to provision of transportation and medical services to the workers and their families and pensioners. Is the company expecting the agriculture workers to join public transportation from their home at 5.00 am and travel to the cultivation some 5 to 10 miles in rugged off-road terrain? We urge Ms Thomas to become acquainted with the history of the industry. Those facilities she mentioned pre-dated GuySuCo and were not provided charitably but came into being out of the struggles of workers. We will have more to say in a forthcoming letter.

Seepaul Narine
General-Secretary
GAWU

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GuySuCo is a like a wolf in sheep’s clothing

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