Do workers operate on their own at Skeldon?

Sep 23, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to a news item in KN Edition of Sept. 12th, 2017 titled “Skeldon massive losses… Workers dumped tonnes of cane-juice to make payday, forged accounts- South African Engineer Complains”.
Editor, the article, in summary, alleges that Skeldon factory workers dumped cane-juice into canals willfully and forged records while management did nothing despite receiving reports of such acts sometime between April 8th, 2015 and December, 2016. These allegations were levied by a South African Engineer, Vishal Somai in a report submitted to the Prime Minister’s Berbice Representative, Gobin Harbajan. The decision by Mr. Somai to complain to a political activist and board member of SEI is quite interesting since Mr. Somai had direct access to the factory manager, the estate manager, the technical director and the CEO of GuySuCo around the clock whenever he is at Skeldon, supervising projects.
Are Mr. Somai and Mr. Harbhajan saying that every level of management (from Factory Manager to CEO) knew about such a dismissible act and chose to hide it? Did Mr. Somai, contact these GuySuCo executives when he observed dumping of juice and if so, who did he contact? GuySuCo is on record of dismissing persons for far lesser infractions than willful dumping of cane-juice. One would expect that this engineer would provide an estimated number for the tonnes of draft and mixed juice dumped in canals instead of just saying “thousands of tonnes”.
Editor, I make these queries and comments because of context and situation in which this report surfaces especially when we now learn that Mr. Somai was ‘instrumental’ to suspend Skeldon’s 1st crop 2017 and he is also supporting privatisation of Skeldon.
It has to be a remarkable deviation from professional ethics and twist of allegiance after May 2015 because Mr. Somai was extremely supportive on GuySuCo’s investment to improve performance of Skeldon and offered no opinion on privatisation.
At that time (2011-2014), he was an employee of Bosh Projects, South Africa, a major international engineering firm. Sometime in 2014, he broke away from Bosh Projects, South Africa and formed his own company, SomaiTech.
The contract to modify one of the punt dumpers was awarded to SomaiTech. Around April 8th, 2015, Mr. Somai was on site at Skeldon for the purpose of the punt dumper modification hence the description of his observation on recording of cane processing rate. With this history, one can only conclude that Mr. Somai’s complaint to a political activist and his support for privatisation are to ensure that his company remains in business with GuySuCo.
On the issue of management, knowing that juice was dumped into canals, Mr. Harbhajan should use his good office and evidence provided by Mr. Somai to initiate an immediate investigation since the persons in GuySuCo’s executive structure (Factory Manager, Estate Manager, Technical Director) during the period Apr. 2015 to Dec. 2016 are still there except the CEO who was replaced in June 2015. If dumping of juice occurred after May 2015, the full team and its new members are there to facilitate such investigation.
Workers do not operate at their own whims and fancies at Skeldon.
Sookram Persaud

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Do workers operate on their own at Skeldon?

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