Sugar strike ends
By Mark Ramotar
Guyana Chronicle
November 3, 2006
THE three-day sugar strike ended yesterday and representatives of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) are scheduled to meet this morning to discuss the proposed wages and salaries increase the corporation is offering, officials said.
Chief Labour Officer, Mr Mohamed Akeel will be the conciliator at the meeting set for 08:30 h at La Bonne Intention (LBI) estate, East Coast Demerara.
GAWU General Secretary, Mr Seepaul Narine and GUYSUCO Human Resources Director Mr Jairam Petam both stated that the strike called Tuesday ended yesterday and that Akeel, union and GUYSUCO officials will meet today to discuss the proposed higher pay package in a committed effort to arrive at an amicable solution to the existing industrial conflict.
“The strike came to an end today (yesterday) and work will resume as per normal from (today),” Narine told the Guyana Chronicle.
Petam said the union had assured him that the strike had been effectively called off and there should be a “full resumption” of work by the striking workers today.
He said he had also written Narine outlining the corporation’s position and putting forward a new proposal of a 5.75% pay increase for 2006 and 5.50% for 2007.
In the letter, Petam stated that the pronouncement of this new offer must take into consideration that the corporation is facing a 36% price cut imposed by the European Union, which has already commenced, and would be fully effected in the next three years.
Narine acknowledged that he had received the letter, the contents of which he had already discussed with union President Mr Komal Chand.
Immediately prior to GUYSUCO’s new proposal, Narine had stressed that GAWU would like the corporation to revisit its position and the matter resolved amicably but said workers are prepared to continue intermittent strike action, at strategic periods determined by the union’s General Council.
After a two-day strike last week, GUYSUCO employees returned to work to allow for further discussions on the wages and salaries dispute.
However, at a meeting last Friday between the two parties, the Chief Labour Officer sought to have them refer the disagreement to arbitration. At that meeting, the union delegation, after considering its options, disagreed.
Negotiations between GAWU and GUYSUCO reached an impasse under the chairmanship of Akeel on October 23, over an escalator clause for the year 2007. The clause stipulates an automatic increase in pay if the inflation rate surpasses a certain level.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, yesterday told reporters the industrial unrest in the sugar industry was both “regrettable and unhelpful”.
“Again, the unprincipled and unsanctioned resort to strike action has placed sustainability of this important sector under significant strain,” he told a news conference at the Office of the President.
Alluding to the adverse effects on the sugar industry from the 36% price cuts imposed by the EU and successive floods in 2005-2006, Luncheon said the performance of sugar in the face of the strikes, would now be under “even more stress”.
According to him, it is evident that the current situation calls for sound judgment and well considered actions by all players.
“Sadly, the strike action by the workers organized by both GAWU and NAACIE is unhelpful and is neither in the interest of the industry, the workers themselves nor the economy,” Luncheon posited.
“What the workers are demanding is unsustainable; what the corporation is offering is also unsustainable but is being offered in the interest of industrial peace and ensuring success with the implementation and outcome of the strategic development plan for sugar in Guyana,” he added.