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GAWU defies Jagdeo… Union vows to continue sugar talks with Govt.
GAWU President, Komal Chand
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) yesterday stated that it will continue to engage the coalition government on issues of employment facing workers in the sugar industry which is reeling from the closure of estates.
GAWU came in for severe criticism on Saturday from General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, for meeting a Government delegation led by President David Granger.
The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) also attended the meeting on January 19 at the Ministry of the Presidency.
“It is dismaying that our union is singled out for this sort of criticism, recognizing that several organisations are engaging the state on matters of concern. Why is a different yardstick being applied to GAWU?” the union questioned.
Jagdeo took GAWU and its leader, Komal Chand, to task, since in his opinion the government won big on the public relations front. Jagdeo stated that nothing was achieved, although a statement on the meeting concluded that common ground was achieved between the union and the government.
“It seems maybe Mr Jagdeo misunderstood the conclusion of the meeting, as both GAWU and NAACIE undertook to work with the government in reaching common ground. We did not advise that common ground was reached,” the union noted.
Chand, who is also a PPP Member of Parliament, clapped back at Jagdeo, telling Kaieteur News that he will stand with the more than 5000 workers affected by the estate closure, over party politics.
GAWU, despite its leadership being aligned to the PPP, seemingly backed Chand.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
The union believes that it should use every arena and leave no stone unturned to further the struggle of the sugar workers.
“Engagement with the government is one such plank. In fact, GAWU is no stranger to engaging Government on workers’ matters. In our years of association with the sugar industry, the GAWU has engaged every Head of State from the late President L.F.S. Burnham,” GAWU stated.
The union noted that it approaches discussions with the administration in good faith and is hopeful that the workers’ causes will be advanced, especially given the terrible times facing so many ordinary Guyanese in the sugar belt.
“The opposition leader, who was President for over a decade, should know better than most, that issues of this nature and magnitude cannot be resolved in a fully comprehensive way at a single meeting, though one would wish that could happen,” GAWU stated.
On the issue of severance, both GAWU and NAACIE took a non-negotiable position that severance entitlements, in keeping with the provisions of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA) as well as the practice, ought to be paid at one time and not in staggered payments as was suggested by the Government.
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