GAWU calls on govt. to fire GuySuCo CEO

Jun 17, 2022 News

– Ali blames rains, opposition for poor state of company

By Shervin Belgrave

Kaieteur News – Against backdrop of recording its lowest ever first crop output, President of the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine on Thursday said the Guyana Sugar Corporation is in dire straits and he called on the President Irfaan Ali administration to fire the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sasenarine Singh.

President Ali questioning GAWU President, Seepaul Narine during the commemoration ceremony of the 74th Anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs.

Narine made the call during his address at the commemoration of the 74th Anniversary of Enmore Martyrs. Enmore Martyrs’ Day is an annual wreath laying ceremony at the Martyrs’ Monument erected at Enmore, East Coast of Demerara (ECD), in remembrance of five sugar workers: Lallabagee Kissoon, Pooran, Rambarran, Dookie and Harry who were slaughtered in 1948 by colonial officers while on strike. They had staged the strike because they wanted better living and working conditions at the sugar plantations.
Thursday’s commemoration ceremony was attended by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and GAWU’s boss, Narine sought to highlight the current situation of the GuySuCo and how it affects sugar workers in this modern era. While delivering his speech, Narine said that sugar is in such a dire state because of poor leadership and management of the industry and called for the removal of the topmost executive. “As the saying goes, ‘Heads must roll’ and this should start from the topmost executive”, Narine said while making the call for the reshuffling of GuySuCo, the company that manages the sugar industry.
Narine told the audience, “Comrades, in reflecting on sugar, we remain apprehensive as we considered the recently concluded first crop. It simply was an appalling performance, the lowest first crop output in the history of the corporation”. “We have heard the explanations of weather, labour and machinery. Such rationales, we contend, are over exemplified to obscure the real issue which is poor leadership and management of the industry”, continued the GAWU president. He noted that, “the degeneration has reached to the point where workers Credit Union savings deducted from their wages are not remitted”.
Narine did not forget to acknowledge that his union was pleased that President Ali had made efforts to address the current leadership of GuySuCo about some of the shortcomings; however, he wants the President to take action quickly. “It was pleasing, therefore, to recognise the President taking a proactive approach when we saw a few days ago, His Excellency reportedly reading the Riot Act to the current leadership of the Corporation. Indeed, it appears, the President and the GAWU’s views are aligned. However, we say to you sir, action must be taken as a matter of urgency”, Narine said.
He then pointed out to Ali, “We cannot allow the slide to continue. As the saying goes, ‘Heads must roll’ and this should start from the topmost executive. Mr. President, you summed it up rightly when you said revitalizing the industry was serious business. Do not allow the ineptness to embarrass your Government any longer”.
In response to Narine’s call, Ali did not agree that the leadership of GuySuCo is the reason for the poor state of the sugar industry. Instead, he blamed the opposition and the rains for GuySuCo’s poor performance. When it was time to deliver his speech, Ali called Narine to stand beside him and asked, “Is it true that Guyana experienced its highest rainfall for decades, a number of decades over the last two years?” Narine responded that, “it is true” but said, “We have had more rainfalls than that with better production”. Ali then proceeded to ask a second question: “What percentage of the land when we came into government was available for cultivation, what percentage was in a deplorable condition?” Narine responded: “You are right that there had been less replanting less than 20 percent of what was the required amount,” but before the GAWU President could have defended his point, Ali shut him up and said, “You had your chance, I just want you to answer these few questions…just these few questions”.
Ali then said, “I am not saying to you that management issue must not be addressed but we need to have an honest conversation and that is all.” After asking the questions, the President developed his speech and said that his government is not to be blamed for the state of the sugar industry but rather the opposition that shut down estates and took away 7000 jobs. He told Narine that he must be reminded that his government is pumping billions into the industry just to revitalise it and bring back jobs. The President also spoke about cash grants his government has been handing out to the affected sugar workers.