Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Court orders GUYSUCO to pay outstanding severance, interest to sugar workers

Nov 04, 2018 News

Justice Fidela Corbin Lincoln, last Friday ordered that the State pays redundant workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, (GuySuCo) their outstanding severance with interest no later than January 15, 2019.
The court ruling comes months after Government was sued over their refusal to pay some 4,280 workers attached to the Skeldon, Rose Hall and the East Demerara Sugar Estates their full severance payments.
The matter was filed in court on behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the union representing the sugar worker after the Government made several promises to pay but failed to deliver.
The ruling also comes on the heels of a decision of the National Assembly to unanimously approve GY$2.451 billion to pay remaining severance to 4,723 sugar workers who have been laid off with the closure of several estates across the country.
Last week, some 62 parliamentarians voted in favour of the amount after a spirited series of questions posed by the People’s Progressive Party’s Komal Chand who is also President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union.
Earlier this year, sugar workers whose severance packages were $500,000 or less, were paid in full, under a supplementary budgetary provision of $1.931 billion, in an effort to provide severance packages to the fired workers.However, workers earning more than that specified amount were paid half of their severance and to date, Government still owes those workers their money. This outstanding payment was at the centre of the civil case.
The redundant workers were to receive their redundancy allowance/severance payment no later than December 29, 2017, which was in keeping with the letter of Section 21 of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA). However, their legal team, which is led by Attorney Anil Nandlall, stated that the over 4000 workers were paid only a portion of their severance payments.
The lawyers had highlighted that even while this was ongoing, GuySuCo transferred all of its assets for those three estates under the Finance Minister to NICIL as per notice published in the Official Gazette (Extraordinary) of Guyana on December 30, 2017.

Lawyers had also observed that GuySuCo has been collateralized as security for a $30 billion loan that it has or is borrowing from commercial banks. The attorneys are seeking an order from the court to direct the respondents – GuySuCo and NICIL, their officers, servants and agents – to “pay forthwith to the said 4280 employees of GuySuCo – and members of the Applicant, all severance or redundancy payments or allowances due, owing and payable under the provisions of TESPA.
Apart from Nandlall, Manoj Narayan, Sasha S Mahadeo-Narayan, Rajendra Jaigobin and Anuradha Deodasingh were all representing the applicants in this case.
Lawyers representing the State i.e. GuySuCo and National Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), included attorneys Ralph Ramkarran and Devindra Kissoon. They were petitioning the court to have the claims of the redundant sugar workers dismissed.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day Horse race meet

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day...

Dec 25, 2024

Over 70 entries in as $7M in prizes at stake  By Samuel Whyte Kaieteur Sports- The time has come and the wait is over and its gallop time as the biggest event for the year-end season is set for the...
Read More
Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards Gymnastics history for Guyana

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Dec 25, 2024

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel & Gold Is Money into quarter-finals

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel &...

Dec 25, 2024

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as India take series

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Dec 25, 2024

Moraikobai village two days football competition and fun day set for Old and New Year’s Day

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

Dec 25, 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support in 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Dec 25, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]