Workers attached to GuySuCo’s Rosehall Estate this morning downed tools and took to the street in protest action over an apparent nonpayment of a promised one-week bonus.
The money is normally paid to factory workers two weeks after the crop ends.
The first crop ended three weeks ago and management of the estate met this morning with the workers’ union representatives. During that meeting, it was reportedly disclosed that GuySuCo had no money to pay the workers the promised bonus.
The two sides met last week and GuySuCo promised that the one-week bonus would be paid to the workers this Friday.
However, when the union reps returned to their various departments this morning and told their colleagues of what transpired at the meeting.
As such, about two-thirds of the workers downed tools and walked out of the factory, demanding payment.
One hundred and fifty-seven workers were engaged in the factory’s operations and 106 walked out, leaving 51 at work.
Rosehall Estate had a target of 3,190 tonnes of sugar for the first crop and was able to make 1,779 tonnes; representing a shortfall of almost 50 percent.
The money required to pay the bonus to workers attached to the East Berbice Estate, which also includes factory workers from the Albion Estate, amounts to about $300 million.
