Topics

Former Member

The APNU+AFC Coalition cannot speak with integrity on major issues affecting Guyanese because of its duplicitous actions. This declaration came from Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, during his weekly news conference held on Thursday (November 21, 2019).

He noted that the Coalition ‘Cabinet’ – a grouping that should have resigned with the passage of the no-confidence motion, but continues to meet – released a statement on the 400 Guyanese who have been placed on the breadline following the scaling down of operations by the Australian mining company Troy Resources. On Tuesday (November 19, 2019) a statement from the Coalition said, “Cabinet is most distressed by the action taken by Troy Resources and considers the dismissal as drastic and unconscionable, particularly at this time when we are heading into the Christmas season.”

Jagdeo, while noting that the workers’ fate is an issue of concern, pointed to the Coalition’s duplicity when it sent home 2,000 sugar workers in on December 5, 2017 – but is now taking about workers being fired ahead of the Christmas season. “They talk about an unconscionable act, so they didn’t have a conscience when they fired the sugar workers? This government cannot speak with integrity because of this duplicitous actions,” he said.

He added that the incompetence of the Coalition is again on display, since it was the Coalition’s own, Keith Scott, who issued cease orders to the company. “The company was pushed over the top. They were already at the precipice and they were pushed over…now over 400 people will lose their jobs,” he said.

The Opposition Leader made clear too that “sitting down and crying” in ‘Cabinet’ will do nothing for the hundreds affected. “This is what we have for a government… totally incompetent… all we will continue to see is our people suffering losses,” he said.

https://citizensreportgy.com/?p=13492

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Former Member

Dem going to cry even harder when they get kicked out in 2020 and Guyana is governed by a Vice President !

11/25/192:20 PM

DjangoAdmin

Jagdeo, while noting that the workers’ fate is an issue of concern, pointed to the Coalition’s duplicity when it sent home 2,000 sugar workers in on December 5, 2017

Last year, with December 31st, 2017 being their last working day, more than 4,000 workers rang in the New Year without jobs. However, despite being owed severance pay, a large majority of the workers had not received their monies, with Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stating that they would be paid by the end of January
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...kers-to-be-laid-off/

The numbers of Sugar workers sent home dropped , there should be some accuracy with the number.

11/25/193:41 PM

DjangoAdmin

Mr Jagdeo can claim no purity on upholding workers’ rights

November 24 2019

Source

Dear Editor,

I refer to Stabroek News’ article, ‘Jagdeo slams gov’t treatment of Troy Resources’ (SN: 23/11/19), which addresses issues surrounding the company’s decision to terminate 300 plus workers on the pretext that it is not making money.

Sometime before the industrial death on 8th October of Ryan Taylor, who met his demise when the cover of a mine collapsed on him, the company via circular had informed workers that it cannot pay an increase in wages/salaries because it is not making money. This circular was a reaction to the written request by the union, the People’s United & General Workers Union (PUGWU), to engage in collective bargaining on wages/salary and other conditions of work consistent with the Collective Labour Agreement. The company has consistently refused to engage the union as to its ability or inability to meet workers’ demand for value in the selling of their labour. This practice has been going on for some years and is a matter of public record via the media.

After Taylor’s death, reportedly on the advice of the technicians (GGMC and OSHA), on 10th October, Keith Scott, junior minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, ordered the operation closed until further notice. On the 15th October, Minister Amna Ally, who heads the ministry, ordered the company to reopen its operation.

The reported statement of Mr Bharrat Jagdeo that “They [government] knew the company had cash flow problems. They knew this was coming but they are so incompetent they couldn’t deal with it…[and] it was clear that the company was already on the precipice and instead of mitigating the impact the problems would have on its workforce, government, through Scott, ‘pushed it over’,” has to be evaluated in the context of the aforesaid.

We can argue whether the advice given to the junior minister that informed his decision was wise and/or whether lifting the cease order by the senior was likewise, but such is beside the point to the status of the workers and the principle of collective bargaining. The situation of the workers at Troy is not dissimilar to that of the workers at GuySuCo, which is, an unwillingness by the management to respect the workers’ right to Collective Bargaining. Troy, like GuySuCo, is claiming to be experiencing financial constraints and cannot pay, but evidently Mr Jagdeo does not see the workers of Troy deserving of similar respect.

The Managing Director of Troy, Ken Nilsson claimed, “The minister’s response [a cease order] seemed more of a political agenda. It’s not a level playing field” (SN: 20/11/19). How this conclusion was arrived at seems clear now. This would also help to explain the mouthful a foreign manager had to say at a meeting held with workers after Taylor’s death and when government moved to hold the company accountable for safety practices.

The gold miners reported at the instant meeting that they were told by that manager that the government is illegal and dictatorial, and he doesn’t know why they don’t call the election and go. Thereafter, he rhetorically said, “What are they afraid of?” This is clearly a repeat of the opposition’s position.

So, three questions are being proposed to Mr Jagdeo:

1. Would a Jagdeo government have done differently to the incumbent as done on the 10th and 15th Oct? And if yes, what?

2. Would you condemn the refusal of Troy management to engage in conciliatory proceedings with the union as prescribed in the Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute Agreement?

3. Would you call on Managing Director Ken Nilsson to butt out of our domestic politics, obey the laws of Guyana and comply with agreements between the company and union?

As to the matter of severance pay to the gold miners, consistent with the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, there is nothing to gloat about with Troy moving to effect pay immediately as against the coalition government that took two plus years to do so with sugar workers. For, according to that law, pay is expected immediately. Whereas the coalition erred and its conduct should not be countenanced, Mr Jagdeo can claim no purity for his administration refused said payment to laid off sugar workers of Diamond Estate. It was not until the issue was taken to court that his government was forced to honour the law.

I have not been silent on the treatment by GuySuCo management towards the sugar unions and likewise will not be silent on the treatment by Troy management towards the PUGWU. As a matter of fact, I refuse to be silent when the right of any worker is being transgressed for injustice anywhere presents a threat to justice everywhere.

What the extant issue is bringing clearly to the attention of the working class is the shamelessness of some politicians in advancing their self-serving agenda on our backs. It says to us that when we stand together on matters of universally acceptable principles, international conventions and laws, and stand up for our constitutionally guaranteed rights, they will know that they better come good lest we expose their double standards and political opportunism. It further emphasises why they fear our solidarity on matters of common interest and are ever so often seeking to place wedges between us. This type of politician can only function best when the working class is at odds amongst themselves.

Yours faithfully,

Lincoln Lewis

11/25/193:46 PM

NehruBig Mouth Member

Lincoln Lewis is the SHAMELESS PUPPET and ASS KISSER!!!

11/25/193:48 PM

Former Member

Django posted:
Jagdeo, while noting that the workers’ fate is an issue of concern, pointed to the Coalition’s duplicity when it sent home 2,000 sugar workers in on December 5, 2017

Last year, with December 31st, 2017 being their last working day, more than 4,000 workers rang in the New Year without jobs. However, despite being owed severance pay, a large majority of the workers had not received their monies, with Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stating that they would be paid by the end of January
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...kers-to-be-laid-off/

The numbers of Sugar workers sent home dropped , there should be some accuracy with the number.

You are more concerned that the number of sugar workers send home should be lower.... eh ... trying again to dab lipstick on APNU .

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUGAR WORKERS PAY. THEM GAT PICKNEE TO FEED.

11/25/194:06 PM

DjangoAdmin

Dave posted:
Django posted:
Jagdeo, while noting that the workers’ fate is an issue of concern, pointed to the Coalition’s duplicity when it sent home 2,000 sugar workers in on December 5, 2017

Last year, with December 31st, 2017 being their last working day, more than 4,000 workers rang in the New Year without jobs. However, despite being owed severance pay, a large majority of the workers had not received their monies, with Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stating that they would be paid by the end of January
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...kers-to-be-laid-off/

The numbers of Sugar workers sent home dropped , there should be some accuracy with the number.
You are more concerned that the number of sugar workers send home should be lower.... eh ...
trying again to dab lipstick on APNU .
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUGAR WORKERS PAY. THEM GAT PICKNEE TO FEED.

Is that what you gathered from my statement ? anyway the court reaffirms severance pay for the unpaid Sugar Workers from Wales .

Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...wales-sugar-workers/

11/25/194:16 PM

Former Member

Django posted:
Dave posted:
Django posted:
Jagdeo, while noting that the workers’ fate is an issue of concern, pointed to the Coalition’s duplicity when it sent home 2,000 sugar workers in on December 5, 2017

Last year, with December 31st, 2017 being their last working day, more than 4,000 workers rang in the New Year without jobs. However, despite being owed severance pay, a large majority of the workers had not received their monies, with Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stating that they would be paid by the end of January
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...kers-to-be-laid-off/

The numbers of Sugar workers sent home dropped , there should be some accuracy with the number.
You are more concerned that the number of sugar workers send home should be lower.... eh ...
trying again to dab lipstick on APNU .
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUGAR WORKERS PAY. THEM GAT PICKNEE TO FEED.
Is that what you gathered from my statement ? anyway the court reaffirms severance pay for the unpaid Sugar Workers from Wales .
Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...wales-sugar-workers/

They waited TWO years for their severance and had to apply to the court.

While public servants get 20 % increases, they gives nothing to sugar workers.

No wage increases nor bonus for sugar workers

November 21, 2019

…Holder cites lost revenue, challenges to divestment process

With bonuses for sugar workers in doubt and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) missing targets, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has noted that the Corporation is so cash-strapped that paying sugar workers a bonus may not be possible.

In an interview with this publication on the sidelines of an event, Holder acknowledged that sugar workers are supposed to be able to get their bonuses once sugar production targets are met. However, he also noted that GuySuCo’s cash-flow woes could be a deciding factor.
“The incentives are built-in. But GuySuCo doesn’t have funds. We would like GuySuCo to be able to benefit from the bonus public servants are benefitting from now, in terms of increases. But where will the funds come from?” Holder questioned.
“Funding has always been an issue. Funds were going to GuySuCo and all the estates, in a loss-making situation, have denied the (leeway) for spending for other parts of the Government. Now we’ve right-sized, funds are being released for other parts of the Government. And we’d like GuySuCo to do well enough so all the workers can (benefit)”.

Some of the workers protesting for increased wages and salaries

Holder posited that with the necessary input, fully functioning factories, markets in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), white sugar and good prices for that sugar, GuySuCo can turn its fortunes around.
“The factories are old. It’s a question of getting the necessary (equipment) to retool them. That’s posing some challenges. But it’s not insurmountable (once) the funds are available. And there have been some delays in divesting the four estates that were closed. They were supposed to be divested and the funds made available to GuySuCo”.
When it comes to details about the divestment, including funds and the allocation of land for former sugar workers to farm, Holder referred such questions to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
GuySuCo and NICIL have been at loggerhead for some time over the divestment process. At one point, NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) Head, Colvin Heath-London, had said that GuySuCo failed to account for how they used the money allocated to them, something GuySuCo had denied.
GuySuCo had, in turn, blamed NICIL for divesting the assets of various estates but not informing them; much less, turning the proceeds of the sale over to GuySuCo. There have even been accusations that certain items were undervalued.
Figures released earlier this month by the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) had indicated that sugar production was lagging in all three functioning estates- Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt.
Meanwhile, GAWU had subsequently indicated that it received a memorandum dated October 29 from the GuySuCo stating that the Corporation had decided to extend the ongoing second sugar crop to December 20, 2019.
“Our Union in a statement of October 25 did point out that the Corporation could not have realised its production target by the time the crop was set to end. Of course, in that statement that based on the performance of the Corporation during the crop, thus far, we estimated that the target may not be realized at Albion and Blairmont Estates”.
“The Corporation, in its memorandum, said ‘there is the possibility of some Estate[s] carrying over canes into 1st Crop 2020’. It seems to say, from our point of view, that the sugar company is anticipating that not all the canes would be harvested and, thus, the crop target will be missed. Time, of course, will ultimately answer this question,” GAWU had said.

11/25/194:35 PM

Former Member

Dem PNC a cry since the day Charrandas buss dem tire. Dem can’t recover from dat. They can run from election but they can’t hide. The longest rope has its end. Burnham rope was 28 years but Charandas chop the GrNger PNC rope in three years !
Me hear dat PPP will honour Charandas by putting up his statue next to Cuffy but with no pumping action !

11/25/194:52 PM

Former Member

Django posted:

Is that what you gathered from my statement ? anyway the court reaffirms severance pay for the unpaid Sugar Workers from Wales .
Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...wales-sugar-workers/

Django bhai, if Granger is a decent person, why is this court order necessary? Why was the NCM one to the CCJ necessary? Good decent people don't need anyone to enforce on them the responsibility to do the right thing.

11/26/1912:07 AM

Former Member

Dave posted:
Django posted:

Is that what you gathered from my statement ? anyway the court reaffirms severance pay for the unpaid Sugar Workers from Wales .
Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers
https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...wales-sugar-workers/
They waited TWO years for their severance and had to apply to the court.
While public servants get 20 % increases, they gives nothing to sugar workers.

No wage increases nor bonus for sugar workers
November 21, 2019

…Holder cites lost revenue, challenges to divestment process
With bonuses for sugar workers in doubt and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) missing targets, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has noted that the Corporation is so cash-strapped that paying sugar workers a bonus may not be possible.

Agriculture Minister
Noel Holder
In an interview with this publication on the sidelines of an event, Holder acknowledged that sugar workers are supposed to be able to get their bonuses once sugar production targets are met. However, he also noted that GuySuCo’s cash-flow woes could be a deciding factor.
“The incentives are built-in. But GuySuCo doesn’t have funds. We would like GuySuCo to be able to benefit from the bonus public servants are benefitting from now, in terms of increases. But where will the funds come from?” Holder questioned.
“Funding has always been an issue. Funds were going to GuySuCo and all the estates, in a loss-making situation, have denied the (leeway) for spending for other parts of the Government. Now we’ve right-sized, funds are being released for other parts of the Government. And we’d like GuySuCo to do well enough so all the workers can (benefit)”.

Some of the workers protesting for increased wages and salaries
Holder posited that with the necessary input, fully functioning factories, markets in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), white sugar and good prices for that sugar, GuySuCo can turn its fortunes around.
“The factories are old. It’s a question of getting the necessary (equipment) to retool them. That’s posing some challenges. But it’s not insurmountable (once) the funds are available. And there have been some delays in divesting the four estates that were closed. They were supposed to be divested and the funds made available to GuySuCo”.
When it comes to details about the divestment, including funds and the allocation of land for former sugar workers to farm, Holder referred such questions to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
GuySuCo and NICIL have been at loggerhead for some time over the divestment process. At one point, NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) Head, Colvin Heath-London, had said that GuySuCo failed to account for how they used the money allocated to them, something GuySuCo had denied.
GuySuCo had, in turn, blamed NICIL for divesting the assets of various estates but not informing them; much less, turning the proceeds of the sale over to GuySuCo. There have even been accusations that certain items were undervalued.
Figures released earlier this month by the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) had indicated that sugar production was lagging in all three functioning estates- Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt.
Meanwhile, GAWU had subsequently indicated that it received a memorandum dated October 29 from the GuySuCo stating that the Corporation had decided to extend the ongoing second sugar crop to December 20, 2019.
“Our Union in a statement of October 25 did point out that the Corporation could not have realised its production target by the time the crop was set to end. Of course, in that statement that based on the performance of the Corporation during the crop, thus far, we estimated that the target may not be realized at Albion and Blairmont Estates”.
“The Corporation, in its memorandum, said ‘there is the possibility of some Estate[s] carrying over canes into 1st Crop 2020’. It seems to say, from our point of view, that the sugar company is anticipating that not all the canes would be harvested and, thus, the crop target will be missed. Time, of course, will ultimately answer this question,” GAWU had said.

If Granger was truly decent, this would not be the case.

11/26/1912:10 AM

Skip to main content

Topics

Mr Jagdeo can claim no purity on upholding workers’ rights

Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers

Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers

No wage increases nor bonus for sugar workers

…Holder cites lost revenue, challenges to divestment process

With bonuses for sugar workers in doubt and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) missing targets, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has noted that the Corporation is so cash-strapped that paying sugar workers a bonus may not be possible.

Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers

Court reaffirms order for severance pay of former Wales’ sugar workers

No wage increases nor bonus for sugar workers

…Holder cites lost revenue, challenges to divestment process

With bonuses for sugar workers in doubt and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) missing targets, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder has noted that the Corporation is so cash-strapped that paying sugar workers a bonus may not be possible.

Add Reply

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Premium Membership Required

GNI VIP Member

Please wait...