Packaged and Contained

Mar 25, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

There has been considerable discussion in the press about the fate of the sugar industry’s Packaging Plant located at East Demerara Estate (Enmore), and its future transition to Albion/PM Estate on the Corentyne. Neither the termination date of the operations at the current location has been confirmed, nor the initiation of operations at the future location has been clarified.
In the interval, it seems possible that the ‘transparent’ transaction was neither seen nor heard by GuySuCo in the first instance, nor by the Union concerned, GAWU.
The quietude of both is therefore most eloquent about the honouring of the Collective Bargaining Agreement’s provision for ‘Severance Pay’, following termination of services in the sugar industry. The obfuscatory remarks about their being retrained and absorbed into a new organisation lack credibility, more so coming reputedly from a Minister, who should be advised by his more authoritative counterpart – the Minister of Labour.
For there is no gainsaying that the workers have a choice, particularly in the light of their earlier terminated counterparts being compensated by both severance payments and hefty grants. At the same time there can be no guarantee that all of them, however willing, will necessarily adjust to the new technological job requirements, and if so, at what comparable conditions of employment, like free medical benefits for self and family, contributory hospitalisation scheme, pension, etc. Surely, GAWU will seek full protection for these members – in the interest of ‘human development’.

E.B. John
Human Resources Management and
Organisational Development Advisor

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News