The agriculture minister told a meeting of sugar workers and other industry personnel that he is addressing management issues and other concerns and reiterated a call for support so that the investment in modernising the sugar industry can produce the maximum benefits.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud met with sugar-cane workers, representatives of sugar unions and senior personnel including general managers, at estates in Berbice to discuss issues such as low labour turnout, frequent protest actions and other challenges like the EU sugar price cuts that are causing a significant loss in revenue annually. Reference was also made to the impact of climate change on the industry.
According to the Government Information Agency the meeting, held at the Albion estate, was also told that their support was necessary to avert an irreversible situation in the industry. “You need to recognise the cold hard facts and we want to enlist you in supporting us to mitigate the dangers we face. We can’t control what the EU (European Union) will do or the price on the market. What we could control is what we do, how we manage and how we treat the resources of the company,” Persaud said.
The minister said too that issues at the management level are being addressed and a new board that includes personnel with specialised skills is being set up. He said too changes in the managerial positions were outlined and that efforts to “clean-up the operations to ensure maximum efficiency, effective accountability and better utilisation of the company’s resources” are being undertaken. Persaud also assured the workers that representatives from the Guyana Power and Light, Guyana Water Incorporated, Guyana Revenue Authority and the National Insurance Scheme would address their concerns.
At the same time a decision was taken to allow workers to be represented through their unions at the regional administration’s monthly meetings to ensure that they are updated regularly on matters of interest.
