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The PPP/C continues to engage workers across the country to discuss sugar’s future, but will not initiate any protests, though it will support such moves, Leader Bharat Jagdeo has said.

“We are not organizing the sugar workers’ protest… We hope that they will… because the party will support them as we supported… other protest actions. I urge them to show their displeasure,” Jagdeo told Stabroek News yesterday.

He said while the party was very concerned about events such as the stoppage of fertilizing works in some sugar cane fields, which the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) complained about yesterday, he would not want to organize protests lest the issue became political instead of industrial.

“We have pointed this out and we have said to the workers that they need to show their displeasure. I have said that to them: the same way the parking meter in Georgetown triggered a response from people of every race and political persuasion, because their livelihoods were threatened, then so too should they express express displeasure about the government’s actions in the sugar belt and that peaceful protest, that has been demonstrated so often in the city, on various issues, is one sure way of getting government’s attention,” the PPP leader asserted.

“GAWU is the union in the sugar industry so they are basically the representative of sugar workers. If the PPP were to take the initiative, as they have done in so many other cases, they would brand the protest a political protest and not industrial action as they have done in the city. I do not want the government to use that as an excuse to brand a legitimate protest about people who are concerned about their livelihood… political when it is a bread and butter issue.”

Yesterday GAWU complained that it was seeing more signs that estates will be closed, pointing to the stoppage of workers by GuySuCo, in fertilizing cane fields.

“This morning [yesterday], the workers engaged in the applying fertilizers to the canes of East Demerara Estates [Enmore and LBI] visited our Head Office and met with the union’s General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine. The workers related that the estate management informed them that they are no longer required to apply fertilizers,” GAWU said in a press release.

“The female workers are required to weed and the male workers are required to harvest canes. Every day we see the signs of closure becoming clearer. The workers are opposed to closure and have pointed out that they would be unable to find jobs should the decision be fully pursued,” the statement added.

Earlier this month, cane planters at the estate said they were told that there was no work for them.

Jagdeo said the move was one of many that government is using to deceive the public on its real intentions for the sugar industry.

“The government… says different things at different times. We have heard [Minister of State Joseph] Harmon say that they are preparing a white paper which will be tabled in the National Assembly which will outline their decisions on the future of the sugar industry. It is by implication saying that they have not made all the decisions pertaining to sugar and the National Assembly will be inform-ed. That holds out the possibility of a debate in the parliament,” Jagdeo stated.

“Subsequently, [Prime Minister Moses] Nagamootoo goes to the Canje Martyrs’ event and announces the closure of Rose Hall Estate. So now before that white paper has gone to the National Assembly, he says that. He also says we are going to keep the fields open and just the factories will be closed but we heard from the ground that they stopped fertilizing in the Berbice area, Canje. On the East Coast, they have stopped the maintainece of the field and the planting of cane. We believe that it is not just the closure of the factory but they will eventually run down the fields and that would lead to the closure of the fields… all of this points to a pattern of deceit and subterfuge to close the industry,” he added.

He said that his party remains adamant in its position that closure of estates was not the way since there would be not only an economic backlash but also social ramifications to be faced.

Referring to calls his party has made for an economic feasibility study to be done on the sugar industry, the former president said that if government was “not so shortsighted and vindictive” it would acquiesce and see reason with his argument when the evaluation of the study was completed.

“We believe that such a feasibility study would show that in dollar terms it is more viable to keep the industry alive and all the estates open…,” he said.

 

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Excellent political move by President Dr. Jagdeo.

Let GAWU take the lead in these protests, they are the ones representing the workers. PPP can provide support.

Sugar Workers need to organize a massive protest to shake up this clueless administration.

Another excellent call:

"Referring to calls his party has made for an economic feasibility study to be done on the sugar industry, the former president said that if government was “not so shortsighted and vindictive” it would acquiesce and see reason with his argument when the evaluation of the study was completed."

Signs of a mature Leader.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

Sugar can survive with you great management and efficient technologies.  How does it survive in other countries?  The most efficient will survive prosper. It's like any other industry. Guyanese have to do their home work and come up with ingenius ways of making this industry work and prosper and not just survive on a life line. 

Billy Ram Balgobin
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Sugar can survive with you great management and efficient technologies.  How does it survive in other countries?  The most efficient will survive prosper. It's like any other industry. Guyanese have to do their home work and come up with ingenius ways of making this industry work and prosper and not just survive on a life line. 

Cost of production vs market price plus no more EU = dead, dead, dead

FM
VishMahabir posted:

Sugar is indeed dead...Are the workers planning on burning down canes now? What kind of protest are we looking forward to???

How would you like government funding stop for your organization. I am sure you and members would protest, this is the people livelihood .

K
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Sugar can survive with you great management and efficient technologies.  How does it survive in other countries?  The most efficient will survive prosper. It's like any other industry. Guyanese have to do their home work and come up with ingenius ways of making this industry work and prosper and not just survive on a life line. 

It is obvious that you and your buddies don't get it. It has nothing to do with management and efficient technologies. It is the product called sugar itself that is in trouble. There is a decrease in its use due its involvement in health issues. Major food and beverage corporations have already to cut the amount of sugar in their products. Even if we gave away the sugar to them it won't make a difference.

Mr.T
yuji22 posted:

Excellent political move by President Dr. Jagdeo.

Let GAWU take the lead in these protests, they are the ones representing the workers. PPP can provide support.

Sugar Workers need to organize a massive protest to shake up this clueless administration.

Another excellent call:

"Referring to calls his party has made for an economic feasibility study to be done on the sugar industry, the former president said that if government was “not so shortsighted and vindictive” it would acquiesce and see reason with his argument when the evaluation of the study was completed."

Signs of a mature Leader.

Excellent my foot,the PPP is no longer a workers party,they are representing the rich,Bharat Jagdeo is saying to workers they have to initiate the protest,"we can't do nothing see wha alyu guh do"

The other part of his statement is hogwash,he is aware of the problem with sugar,just mouthing off to look important.

GAWU is a toothless poodle and arm of the PPP,fooling the Sugar workers.

Django
Last edited by Django

Listen to Chief FILTH HEAD, Bharat ah Fool sugar workers when he is the reason they were earning a living BUT Granger nah fool the Chief FILTH HEAD by telling him PPP Salary was too much, that Govt dont belong in Newspaper/TV, that Transparency will be the rule of the land, that Corruption will be dead, I can go on and on but the FILTH HEAD obviously will have no clue what I am saying. FILTH HEADS are like that, no explanation needed!!!

Nehru
Mr.T posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

Sugar can survive with you great management and efficient technologies.  How does it survive in other countries?  The most efficient will survive prosper. It's like any other industry. Guyanese have to do their home work and come up with ingenius ways of making this industry work and prosper and not just survive on a life line. 

It is obvious that you and your buddies don't get it. It has nothing to do with management and efficient technologies. It is the product called sugar itself that is in trouble. There is a decrease in its use due its involvement in health issues. Major food and beverage corporations have already to cut the amount of sugar in their products. Even if we gave away the sugar to them it won't make a difference.

Oil is the new sugar. 

Billy Ram Balgobin
Nehru posted:

Listen to Chief FILTH HEAD, Bharat ah Fool sugar workers when he is the reason they were earning a living BUT Granger nah fool the Chief FILTH HEAD by telling him PPP Salary was too much, that Govt dont belong in Newspaper/TV, that Transparency will be the rule of the land, that Corruption will be dead, I can go on and on but the FILTH HEAD obviously will have no clue what I am saying. FILTH HEADS are like that, no explanation needed!!!

Hogwash as usual coming from the "Chief FILTH HEAD"

Django
Last edited by Django
Django posted:

The PPP/C continues to engage workers across the country to discuss sugar’s future, but will not initiate any protests, though it will support such moves, Leader Bharat Jagdeo has said.

“We are not organizing the sugar workers’ protest… We hope that they will… because the party will support them as we supported… other protest actions. I urge them to show their displeasure,” Jagdeo told Stabroek News yesterday.

He said while the party was very concerned about events such as the stoppage of fertilizing works in some sugar cane fields, which the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) complained about yesterday, he would not want to organize protests lest the issue became political instead of industrial.

“We have pointed this out and we have said to the workers that they need to show their displeasure. I have said that to them: the same way the parking meter in Georgetown triggered a response from people of every race and political persuasion, because their livelihoods were threatened, then so too should they express express displeasure about the government’s actions in the sugar belt and that peaceful protest, that has been demonstrated so often in the city, on various issues, is one sure way of getting government’s attention,” the PPP leader asserted.

“GAWU is the union in the sugar industry so they are basically the representative of sugar workers. If the PPP were to take the initiative, as they have done in so many other cases, they would brand the protest a political protest and not industrial action as they have done in the city. I do not want the government to use that as an excuse to brand a legitimate protest about people who are concerned about their livelihood… political when it is a bread and butter issue.”

Yesterday GAWU complained that it was seeing more signs that estates will be closed, pointing to the stoppage of workers by GuySuCo, in fertilizing cane fields.

“This morning [yesterday], the workers engaged in the applying fertilizers to the canes of East Demerara Estates [Enmore and LBI] visited our Head Office and met with the union’s General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine. The workers related that the estate management informed them that they are no longer required to apply fertilizers,” GAWU said in a press release.

“The female workers are required to weed and the male workers are required to harvest canes. Every day we see the signs of closure becoming clearer. The workers are opposed to closure and have pointed out that they would be unable to find jobs should the decision be fully pursued,” the statement added.

Earlier this month, cane planters at the estate said they were told that there was no work for them.

Jagdeo said the move was one of many that government is using to deceive the public on its real intentions for the sugar industry.

“The government… says different things at different times. We have heard [Minister of State Joseph] Harmon say that they are preparing a white paper which will be tabled in the National Assembly which will outline their decisions on the future of the sugar industry. It is by implication saying that they have not made all the decisions pertaining to sugar and the National Assembly will be inform-ed. That holds out the possibility of a debate in the parliament,” Jagdeo stated.

“Subsequently, [Prime Minister Moses] Nagamootoo goes to the Canje Martyrs’ event and announces the closure of Rose Hall Estate. So now before that white paper has gone to the National Assembly, he says that. He also says we are going to keep the fields open and just the factories will be closed but we heard from the ground that they stopped fertilizing in the Berbice area, Canje. On the East Coast, they have stopped the maintainece of the field and the planting of cane. We believe that it is not just the closure of the factory but they will eventually run down the fields and that would lead to the closure of the fields… all of this points to a pattern of deceit and subterfuge to close the industry,” he added.

He said that his party remains adamant in its position that closure of estates was not the way since there would be not only an economic backlash but also social ramifications to be faced.

Referring to calls his party has made for an economic feasibility study to be done on the sugar industry, the former president said that if government was “not so shortsighted and vindictive” it would acquiesce and see reason with his argument when the evaluation of the study was completed.

“We believe that such a feasibility study would show that in dollar terms it is more viable to keep the industry alive and all the estates open…,” he said.

 

Jagdeo was there since 1999. This new administration has been there for 2 years. NOW he thinks a feasibility study should be done? He had 16 years (Anybody who believes Ramoutar was president please PM me. I have couple of bridges to sell cheap cheap).  "lest the issue became political instead of industrial", that's a joke. He is using those sugar workers to further his goals.

GTAngler
GTAngler posted:

Jagdeo was there since 1999. This new administration has been there for 2 years. NOW he thinks a feasibility study should be done? He had 16 years (Anybody who believes Ramoutar was president please PM me. I have couple of bridges to sell cheap cheap).  "lest the issue became political instead of industrial", that's a joke. He is using those sugar workers to further his goals.

Nothing but the truth.

Django

the government is between a rock and a hard place, should they keep the sugar workers alive or keep the economy alive? Keep the sugar workers alive [with bail-outs] and Guyana dies, keep the economy alive and the sugar workers die, a good Government must always ensure that the economy does not die or all will perish, not sugar workers only.

FM

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