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This man wants to bring back massa days

Jul 28, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Mr Sahadeo Bates letter titled “Jagdeo was wrongly advised on the construction of Skeldon factory” which appeared in the July 24, 2017 Kaieteur News stirred my interest as I read it. Mr Bates, in his letter, advised that they were more suitable contractors to build the new Skeldon factory. It seems that the author has asymmetric information on this matter. From what is known, two (2) contractors submitted proposals to undertake the construction of Skeldon. The two (2) bids were evaluated by the project’s supervising firm, then UK-based Booker Tate Limited (BTL), and it was they who recommended to GuySuCo and the Government the contractor.
Undoubtedly, capacity, capability, experience, among the other factors would have been taken into consideration. Moreover, BTL was on the project site during the construction of the factory and overlooked every facet of the project. The Company even went as far as having its personnel inspect equipment destined for Skeldon prior to its shipment from the several reputable sugar equipment manufactures in Europe, Africa and Asia, among the other places. Ultimately it is BTL which is wholly and solely answerable for the shortcomings of Skeldon. Maybe its local henchman may be able to shed some light on what really transpired.
Mr Bates goes on speaking about the situation with respect to the Wales workers and decries the benefits the workers obtain. The author maybe is a stranger to the truth. Those benefits he listed in a disparaging manner were obtained after our fore parents waged dogged struggles and they were not given willingly and freely by the then owner-class. Furthermore, realistically, does Mr Bates expect workers to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and walk or ride to work several miles into the cultivation. Massa days have long left our shores but it seems Mr Bates is joining the small bandwagon who wish to bring those terrible times back.
The point about persons in the US travelling many miles to work cannot be compared with the situation of Wales; it is chalk to cheese. Unlike in the US, the sugar workers do not travel to work in air conditioned cars, buses or trains but in lorries exposed to the elements and through dams, often muddy, to reach to work. At times the situation does not even allow lorries to reach the worksite and workers either are ferried by punts or in some instances walk distances to the worksite.
A worker after going through that harassment is exhausted and tired by the time they reach to work and then they are expected to cut several tonnes of canes loading it by fetching it on their heads. And after all of that face a similar journey back home when they must confront the excruciating traffic. Mr Bates if the shoe were on the other foot, maybe your tune would change. I wonder if Mr Bates would want to join a cane cutting gang.
Mr Bates, from my knowledge, labour in the sugar industry is not glamorous as you seem to paint, but it’s hard, difficult and challenging exposed to the scorching sun or the drenching rain. Those difficulties have become even graver as workers these days face an uncaring management and government.
Patricia Persaud

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