Sugar workers down tools indefinitely
– as GuySuCo refuses to make yearend increases ‘sweeter’
Countrywide strike
Over 7000 workers attached to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) are now on strike following the Sugar
Thousands of sugar workers on Tuesday downed tools across the country as GuySuCo refuse to accept their Union’s proposals for higher salary increases and Annual Production Incentive Payments for workers
Corporation’s reluctance to come up with an acceptable ratio for the workers Annual Production Incentive (API). GuySuCo is offering the workers an API at a ratio of 85,000 tonnes for sugar produced for one extra days pay. This compares with 32,500 tonnes for one extra days pay prior to 2014. In 2014, the workers were paid at a ratio of 46,000 tonnes of sugar produces for one extra day’s pay. On Monday, thousands of workers from four of five estates went on strike. When Guyana Times checked with the sugar estates on Tuesday, 843 harvesters at Skeldon, 958 at Rose Hall, 1000 at Blairmont and 1438 at Albion, were joined by factory workers at all eight of GuySuCo’s estates along with field workers from La Bonne Intention (LBI), Enmore, Uitvlugt and Wales estates. All these workers downed tools.
Unreasonable offer The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) reported on Tuesday that more than 7000 workers from the sugar industry were on strike. The workers are protesting what they deemed the ‘unreasonable’ offer made by the sugar company with respect to their API. GAWU has proposed five-and-a-half days API while GuySuCo has offered two-and-a-half days. GAWU’s Berbice Regional Supervisor Harvey Tambron told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the offer by the sugar company is “unacceptable.” “Over the years, we had 32,500 tonnes of sugar equivalent to one day’s pay. Last year because of the financial constraints, the situation, GuySuCo and so on we accepted 46,000 tonnes. When we met last Wednesday, we proposed 32,500 and they held on to the 85,000. We decided to consult with the delegation that was there on the same day and it was agreed that we will up out proposal from 32,500 to 37,000 tones.” Although the union and corporation met twice last week to discuss and settle the API for 2015, their discussions ended in limbo. On Friday last, the union and the sugar entity met but could not agree on the API. “GuySuCo asked us what will be the next move so we said to them ‘we met once you said of 85,000, we met on the second time and you said 85,000 and you said you went through with a fine teeth comb, so we will have to tell our comrades on the ground; the membership on the ground. When we come to the people on the ground this is their reaction,” Tambron noted. On March 8, GAWU submitted its wages and salaries proposal but it was not until September 16 that GuySuCo called the Union to have discussions. Then the sugar company informed the unions representing sugar workers that it was not in a position to negotiate wages and salaries and proposed October 7 for those discussions. However the day before the scheduled meeting, GuySuCo by way of letter informed GAWU that could not stick to the agreed meeting and was to wait on the report from the Commission of Inquiry (CoI). However, GAWU argued that the CoI had nothing to do with the negotiation of wages and salaries even though the union supports the CoI. Following a meeting with GAWU’s General Council (the second highest decision making body in GAWU) on October 24, five days after the CoI’s report was given to Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, and a decision was taken to have the workers take shrike action from the October 25 to the 27. On Tuesday, Tambron argued that since the restoration of collective bargaining in 1989, the Union and GuySuCo was always meeting and arriving at a consensus on wages and salaries. However as it stands now, history is in the making as all previous meetings have failed to bear fruit. According to Tambron, other public servants have received increases and sugar workers are also public servants and should be entitled to salary increases. “Sugar is not a private entity, the workers also deserve some thing. What stops GuySuCo from saying next year that they will have to make 95,000 tones or 110,000 tones for a day’s pay? GuySuCo was the one that wanted to replace the API with a profit-based incentive and the sugar workers stood up against that.” In Berbice, only the Albion Estate was grinding on Tuesday as all harvesters at the Blairmont, Rose Hall and Skeldon estates downed tools closing grinding operations. The LBI, Enmore, Uitvlugt and Wales estates ceased all grinding operations. Albion continued to grind with the help of apprentice workers who are still attached to GuySuCo Training School at Port Mourant. Meanwhile, GAWU has said that it is seeking to engage GuySuCo to put forward an acceptable proposal as it relates to the workers API for 2015. However, until such time the strike actions will continue.
GuySuCo concerned about strike However, the Guyana Sugar Corporation in a statement on Tuesday said that it has noted with great concern the current industrial action across the industry by its workers responding to calls from its Union leadership to apply pressure to the financially ailing industry. The sugar company said that it is no secret that the current total revenue is just enough to offset payment of wages and salaries to its employees. “At our second Annual Production Incentive (API) meeting held on Friday November 20, 2015 at LBI, the Corporation offered for every 85,000 tonnes sugar produced one day’s pay API. This equates to 2.7 days for the Corporation expected year’s production of 233,361 tonnes sugar. The delegation was informed that the Corporation will pay these monies no later than March 2016 because of its financial constraints,” the company said in a statement. According to the company, the Union informed that it will not sign onto an agreement with such a high number (tonnes sugar per day’s pay) but has no objection to the Corporation paying the sum to the workers sometime earlier. Further, the company claims that Union representatives noted that they will consult with the Union’s wider membership on the position put forward. “The Corporation had proposed to reconvene on Tuesday of this week. However, the Union requested that after their consultation with the wider membership they will get on to the Corporation on the way forward. Finally, it was agreed that both parties will not speak to the press until we conclude this matter,” the company said. The company said that workers should be encouraged to resume normal duties and work towards achieving their respective weekly targets and earning themselves additional incentives over the next two to four weeks.
