Sugar Workers promised wage increase weeks before elections

Feb 08, 2020 News

After years of protest actions across Guyana, sugar workers were yesterday finally given what they have been demanding since 2015; a wage increase.

GAWU representatives and Sugar workers at the meeting

This is according to the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) who in a release made the revelation after a meeting with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Heads. The increase comes a mere day after sugar workers assembled in front the Office of the President in protest.
“The workers were staunch in their demand for a deserving pay increase as they maintained that they were discriminated against.
“Apart from that, the workers further demonstrated how the pay freeze had pushed them and their families closer to the poverty line as they were crushed by the heavy cost-of-living. They had to find innovative means to make life’s ends meet as their nominal and real wages declined and their ever scarce dollars were not going as far as they previously could,” GAWU said.
The release stated that “at a meeting between the GAWU and GuySuCo, the Union’s delegation, comprising officials and representatives from the various estates, said that the sugar corporation informed that it approved certain pay increases to the sugar workers.”
GAWU did not go into details as to how much the workers pay will be increased, noting that the offer is still being actively considered by the union and workers.
“This move demonstrates that it is only through struggle that the workers and the oppressed will be able to surmount their obstacles and score, even meager gains from the Administration. “
However, while the union is elated by the promise of an increase, they took note of the timing of its announcement, that being mere weeks before the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
“It did not escape our attention that the offer comes less than a month away from when the workers and their families are expected to exercise their franchise and when there are active attempts to woo their support after years of assault perpetuated against them.”
Since coming into office in 2015, the Coalition Government has not offered any wage increase to sugar workers. Instead, the public servants, including government Ministers received significant increases to their salaries.
Last November, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, said that the sugar worker may not be benefiting from any wage increases due to the financial situation at GuySuCo.
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan had stated that any pay increase must come from the Board of GuySuCo.

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