Skip to main content

FM
Former Member
Rose Hall sugar workers on strike over incentive pay delays
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012
Source

Sugar workers from GuySuCo’s Rose Hall Estate yesterday remained off the job as they continued to protest the non payment of their Annual Production Incentive (API). “No money, no work!” was the chant of about 200 workers, who converged at Tacama Turn, in New Amsterdam, to vent their concerns about the continued delays in paying them. The workers have vowed to continue their strike action until all outstanding sums are paid.


Rose Hall sugar workers yesterday protesting over the non payment of their production incentive

Spokesman Paul Austin said the shifting dates for payments of the API was high on the list of concerns of his co-workers, who began the protest action since Saturday. According to Austin, in November, at a meeting at La Bonne Intention, workers’ representatives and GuySuCo management agreed that the cane harvesters would be paid a day’s pay for every 31,200 tonnes of cane harvested. It was noted that with the exception then of Rose Hall, the targets set by the estates, were not met.


Paul Austin

Austin, who has worked in the industry for over 21 years, said that it is customary for the API to be paid in January. “But we were told that we would no longer be paid in January, but on February 24. During last week, we were told by the management at Rose Hall Estate that the monies will now be paid on March 16. But we are saying we want our money on February 24. We have commitments. We cannot tell GPL [the Guyana Power and Light Company] that we will pay them until March 16. We have to face the consequence,” he said.

Austin pointed out that sugar has already been sold and workers are still to be paid, noting that management told workers last week that two shiploads of sugar have to be sent to Europe. He further said that when questioned by workers about whether they would have to wait until the sugar reached Europe in order for them to be paid, management said they would be paid the API as soon as the sugar leaves local shores.

“You know how many ships loose off from Guyana and we still na get pay? [GuySuCo CEO] Mr Paul Bhim say them in debt. We, the workers, did not put GuySuCo in debt. We have worked and we want our money, as the sugar done sell already,” he said. Austin, who was fully supported by his colleagues from the harvesting, planting, manure, weeding and ‘draw down’ gangs , reasoned that with just under a month leading up to March 16, GuySuCo management can pay the API and then “they can see what they will do.” “We have eight weeks remaining for the crop. With good weather, the cane can be harvested within half the time. But management is dragging on. Time to shut the shop! We cannot go on like this! We want our money!” he added.

Meanwhile, another workers’ representative, Sohan Sookhu, echoed Austin’s statements while sounding his own disappointment at the management of the sugar industry that he joined in 1973. “Initially, they were good paymasters, but three years ago GuySuCo started to move away from the payments dates. People have worked and we need our money,” he said.


Sohan Sookhu

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Blairmont strike continues - Rose Hall joins action for API - workers resume at Albion, Skeldon and Wales
FEBRUARY 21, 2012 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS
Source


Some of the spoilt cane which has been in punts over a week now at Blairmont.

Blairmont Estate sugar workers began their eighth day of industrial action yesterday as they pressed on for the immediate removal of the Estate Manager, Corbette Victorine and the addressing of several issues. Events even took an interesting turn as administrative and other office staff of the estate also begun to strike, demanding Victorine stay on the job.

While strike actions last week by sugar workers at Skeldon, Albion, Blairmont and Wales Sugar estates affected operations at these factories, those workers (except at Blairmont) returned to work on Sunday, last. However, yesterday, 13 workers at Wales staged a protest over the dismissal of one of their colleagues. At Blairmont early yesterday morning scores of workers gathered as they have usually been doing for the past week or so and found out that talks between the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and top executives of the sugar industry are still at a stalemate. As a result, little or no work has been carried out since last week Monday when the strike took effect. This has caused several punts of cane to be spoiled and to be used as bagasse.


Blairmont Estate

According to Union Rep Motielall Dyal, the 6B2 Gang harvesters turned up on Sunday with the intention to work, “but with the stale cane price—they ain’t paying that price. They want to start with $100 and the rep was negotiating, and they said that they cannot give the price that the rep wanted, so everybody withdrew their labour,” he noted. The representative continued that a meeting was held on Friday in Georgetown with Seepaul Narine of GAWU and other top officials and they (the workers) were told that the union did not officially call a strike and that the workers should return to work. The talks broke down since the workers still felt their needs were not being fully represented.

Samuel Fraser, Field Workshop worker, added that “Over twenty punts of canes have been spoiled….over 20 [punts] leave out the amounts in the field to bring out, [that is] over 2,000 tons. “All will have to go for bagasse—it done spoil! A whole set of cane damaged; money gone down the drain”, he added.


AFC's Gerhard Ramsaroop listening to striking API workers of Rose Hall Estate

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GuySuCo, Paul Bhim, told Kaieteur News yesterday that although the industry caters for delays in the grinding at factories, the incident at Blairmont is taking its toll. He explained that during the time in which the workers have put down their tools, about 20,000 tonnes of sugar cane could have harvested, and thus sugar production is being directly affected.

With the low production for the past week, major problems are brewing, especially as it concerns the commitments that GuySuCo with CARICOM to supply a certain amount of sugar on a regular basis. Bhim, while highlighting the implications cause by the strike, related that the company is already cash strapped and production and sale are important aspects of the sustenance of the factory. ‘We have commitments and obligations to export sugar to various countries, to CARICOM, and the longer the workers stay out, the worse our financial difficulties become. We need to earn money and we get it from our sugar production and we need this to help get out of our financial difficulties. We are appealing to the workers to think of these problems also because we really need them,” said Bhim.

ANNUAL PRODUCTION INCENTIVE (API) STRIKE

Meanwhile, sugar workers attached to the Rose Hall Estate, were also striking yesterday, demanding the payment of the Annual Production Incentive (API). Rose Hall Estate, Canje workers congregated at the Tacama Turn in New Amsterdam where they vented their frustrations to the media and Alliance for Change (AFC) members present.
“It is no certainty that we will get we money, so we come out fuh voice we concern because we need we money—on Friday coming!” one worker noted. The workers were supposed to have been paid the API since January and are at their wits’ end across the sugar industry, including at the estates in Blairmont and Albion, as well as Skeldon.
“The sugar done sell and gone so where is the money? We ask why dem ain’t tell it in parliament and they said this is not like before; the opposition got a say. The opposition is who they afraid of since the opposition will launch an investigation into GuySuCo,” one worker said.

AFC Member of Parliament, Gerhard Ramsaroop, who was present, outlined the AFC’s position on the issue: “We are here in solidarity with the workers, because you have to be in solidarity with the working class, but we’re not here to replace the union. We do not have the capacity to represent you all industrially, so we don’t want to mislead anybody to say that our party is going to take up the cause of negotiation with management, but we will work for you through parliament. “We already talked to Nanda Gopaul and Komal Chand and asked them to intervene. We’re asking GAWU to be more vigorous and active on behalf of the workers, notwithstanding their relationship with the PPP. You have got to make that separation, because workers’ rights is workers’ rights, and the PPP is supposed to be a working- class party, and what you have explained to me is definitely unjust because you are talking about last year’s production, which has already been calculated, and what is due and based on what you said, the shifting of dates which is done twice already, and the third date is not even certain, so we understand.”

Ramsaroop explained to the workers certain issues surrounding the crisis in the sugar industry. “It was on the verge of collapse and bankruptcy. We understand they want to get a loan from Trinidad to which they will put GuySuCo lands as collateral. That is actually like if Guyana will be colonized by Trinidad if they fail. The AFC cannot be seen as coming in now and telling workers to stay off the job, because when the industry collapses, the blame will be on the AFC.” The AFC parliamentarian noted that the party’s position is that the sugar industry is still vital to Guyana, in terms of the energy it can produce, like ethanol. “We support those kinds of initiatives, because it will save the industry because you’re not just depending on selling the sugar. “There will be mechanization but that does not mean you will lose your job because new lands will have to be opened on a very large scale.”

The workers said that they know GuySuCo has the money to pay them and questioned why it was not being paid.
“Traditionally, you’re paid the API in January, and the issue is the pushing back and we understand life is hard. You’ve got your children, VAT… so we are in support,” Ramsaroop told the workers. “At the end of the day, although it is government mismanagement and waste, the industry is in trouble and it is not your fault—they (government) created it!” he exclaimed.

“For the past two years, we ain’t hear no audit of GuySuCo and leh we know what is happening. We ain’t hear how much profit they make. That is what we want!” said one worker. The workers said that they will continue to strike until they receive their API.
FM

Gerhard Ramsaroop and Kojo McPherson listening to the issues of the sugar workers. - Cindy Dian Sookdeo photo.


AFC Region 5 Councillor, Cindy Dian Sookdeo in solidarity with the sugar workers.


Gerhard Ramsaroop and Kojo McPherson listening to the grievances of sugar workers. - Leon Jameson Suseran photo.


Rose Hall Estate sugar workers on strike. - Cindy Dian Sookdeo photo.


Rose Hall Estate sugar workers on strike. - Cindy Dian Sookdeo photo.
FM
quote:
The workers said that they know GuySuCo has the money to pay them and questioned why it was not being paid.
“Traditionally, you’re paid the API in January, and the issue is the pushing back and we understand life is hard. You’ve got your children, VAT… so we are in support,” Ramsaroop told the workers. “At the end of the day, although it is government mismanagement and waste, the industry is in trouble and it is not your fault—they (government) created it!” he exclaimed.



How come the PPP find money to fly Jagdeo and his entourage to India?
Mitwah
You do not have to be a rocket sciencitist to figuge this out,Bhar-Wha Jag is still the Leader of the PPP Clique,he is working behind the scenes,he is openly cursing the hell out of those Fools including the Pres.TRUE STORY AND I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO SAY OTHERWISE.
FM

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×