Sugar workers stage two-day strike
-Over pay and incentive grouses
Stabroek News
December 3, 2002
Operations ground to a halt at several sugar estates across the country yesterday as workers represented by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union (GAWU) commenced a two-day strike.
The industrial action is to protest what the union claims is the Guyana Sugar Corpo-ration's (GUYSUCO) reluctance to pay workers an incentive for surpassing the production target for this crop and the non-confirmation of the payout of 4.5% as an interim payment on wages and salaries for this year. But both of these claims were denied by Industrial Relations Director of GUYSUCO Jairam Petam who said among other things that the union had been invited to a meeting with the corporation's management yesterday morning but did not attend.
Petam told Stabroek News that on the question of an incentive for surpassing the target, "GUYSUCO decided early on that we will pay workers 22.5 days non-taxable pay for sugar production in excess of 320,000 tonnes and since we have achieved that, our position still stands."
He added that at the initial stage they had set a target of 308,000 tonnes, but better climatic conditions, coupled with proper farm management assisted greatly in them being able to better their estimated target. The payment will be made as soon as the present crop ends which according to Petam might be just before December 25.
GAWU is also protesting the non-confirmation of the payout of 4.5% as an interim payment on wages and salaries this year, pending the award by the tribunal set up to deal with the pay increase. Petam said that as far as he is aware, Industrial Relations Officer of GUYSUCO, Francis Carryl had communicated to the General Secretary of GAWU as recently as last week that payment of the 4.5% would be effected on December 20. He said the 4.5% payout would be retroactive from January 1-December.
GAWU and the corporation had failed to reach an agreement at both the bilateral and conciliation levels and as such, Labour Minister Dale Bisnauth referred the dispute to arbitration. The arbitration panel is headed by chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, Prem Persaud and comprises Norman McLean and David Yankana.
GAWU in a press release yesterday stated also that workers are incensed by the outsourcing of work activities in the sugar industry: "Absolutely no discussions preceded the corporation's outsourcing programme. The union will have none of this unilateral and dictatorial method of management." Petam in response said that the corporation's outsourcing programme has been an ongoing one for a number of years. He questioned the motive of the union complaining about something that has been in existence for years now. He added that whenever GUYSUCO embarks on such programmes there has always been discussion with both of the unions that represent sugar workers. He pointed out that the outsourcing programme is aimed at reducing costs and at present only the cleaning of the estates' compounds, labour transport and bulk sugar transport were outsourced.
Asked about the effects of the strike, Petam disclosed that the East Demerara Estates and Skeldon and Albion have been severely affected. However, Rose Hall and Blairmont were not affected. He noted that the GAWU workers are those persons who work in the fields and factories and because of their absence from duty grinding at the estates mentioned above was at a standstill. Petam said that usually on Mondays all of the estates would do maintenance of their machines which means that grinding only lasts for half the day.
Should the workers hold out tomorrow the corporation stands to lose some 1,200-1,600 tonnes of sugar. (Nigel Williams)
