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The strike commenced on Friday, November 20 after the Annual Production Incentive (API) talks between the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) came to a halt.
It was noted that members of the Union’s negotiation team who are not part of the General Council also participated in the meeting. A statement from GAWU explained that the General Council took note of the commitment and spirit of the workers who are prepared to protect and defend their hard won gains, their right to increase pay like other workers.
According to GAWU, sugar workers were aghast when they were informed last Friday by their colleagues who are members of the Union’s negotiation team that the Corporation adamantly held on to a quantity of 85,000 tonnes sugar for a day’s pay as API.
“This is a vast difference from the Union amended claim of 37,000 tonnes sugar for a day’s pay which was the average over the last four (4) years. Last year (2014), for instance, the API payment was 4.5 days’ pay on the production of 216,242 tonnes of sugar. Should the industry attain its production target of 227,000 tonnes sugar, then the workers should earn as API approximately 6.13 days’ pay but GuySuCo is only offering 2.6 days’ pay. Between 1989 and 2013, the lowest incentive was 5 days’ pay and the highest was 23.5 notwithstanding that in one instance production was below 130,000 tonnes sugar,” GAWU explained.
“Regarding, the wage negotiations, the GuySuCo continues to blatantly breach the Trade Union Recognition Act (TURA) which requires the process of Collective Bargaining to take place. The Agreement subsisting between the Union and the Corporation, at the same time, is breached by the Corporation driving uneasiness in the Union and among the workers. The relevant clause of the Agreement requires the Corporation to begin to address the Union’s claim not later than two (2) weeks after its submission and to complete the negotiating process not later than two (2) months.”
It was noted that the Union’s Attorney-at-Law, Senior Counsel Ashton Chase wrote to the Corporation citing the Agreement and the TURA with a view to getting a commitment from the Corporation towards its engagement in Collective Bargaining with the Union.
“Counsel’s letter was not even acknowledged by GuySuCo,” GAWU said.
“No increase in pay retroactive to January 01, 2015, at this time, and a token API payment for the increased production to some 227,000 tonnes signifies that an important segment of the country’s hard-working labour force faces a grim and bleak Christmas made possible by the GuySuCo and the owners of the industry. Sugar workers are resilient. What is denied and withheld from them won’t be ignored and surrendered. They would certainly contemplate further struggles.”
you guys should be in the situation the sugar workers are and you will see the difference, it is easy to say the workers are misled by their union, but if you guys were sugar workers and you know that every entity have an increase in wages/salaries and you can’t get how will you feel , especially the ones from the top are saying the treasury is empty but can find money to give them self % raise in pay just after months doing nothing and are saying they are quality workers
No doubt the union has problems with thier # because if 216000 give 4.5 , 227000 cant give 6.13. It should be 227000/216000 x 4.5 gives 4.6. They were given 2.75 thefore they struck 7 days for 1.85 days where is the common sense not common after all.
Where dem finding d money to thief to pay themselves the 50% increase. My guess is that it is from the cash that ppp left back. Pay the people the api this year. Backward politicians leading this country and they have brainwashed a few.
When will it be that you people see things without bringing in the politics. Use your grey matter and tell the company where to find the money to pay us. Every worker will want an increase but want is different from need my friend. Do we received an increase to settle our want and loose our jobs that meet our needs. Shut up.
For too long Politics have destroyed sugar keep it out forever.
Because APNU/AFC is running the show now nothing good is expected.This is like the Colonial days.Although the Workers deserve a better deal they may not get anything.The AFC is impotent that they can’t even speak for themselves or for the Workers who supported them.What a shame.
What a shame the poor ignorant workers at the losing end. They have to be wary of GAWU that they are not drag by their nose ring in the future. Guysuco survival is for the workers and not Komal he is on his way out and may cause destruction to the industry, There can be no better guard than the workers themselves.
A learning experience not to be fooled twice cdes. Workers loss 7 days pay to struggle for 2 more. What a sham, and so much for good leadership. Out with the old and in with the new. It is time for Komal to be shown the rocking chair.
Workers need new century leadership and not his retro style.
The GAWU blinked, keep up the good work GuySuCo, the union will soon be acquiring new leadership. The sugar workers are not as loyal to the PPP as some believe. There is something called self preservation.