Representatives of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) are expected to meet today to discuss the Annual Production Incentive (API) as both sides work towards a solution to the on-going protest by workers.
A Guysuco official told Stabroek News yesterday that the union and the sugar corporation were originally expected to hold a meeting yesterday to discuss the production incentive but the meeting was postponed to facilitate employees attending the funeral of Minister in the Ministry of Education, Dr Desrey Fox.
He stated that while it is obligated to honour the needs of its workers, the company is working diligently to “to come up with resources” to honour its obligations. Notwithstanding the March 10 deadline as regards payments outlined by the wages arbitration tribunal recently, he said the company is trying to find a solution to the problem. Guysuco’s CEO Errol Hanoman had stated publicly that the sugar corporation was unable to make payments to sugar workers at this time, given the company’s current financial status.
Meanwhile, GAWU representatives told Stabroek News yesterday that the union will continue to support its members in their protest action for Guysuco to pay outstanding monies to them before Christmas. Protest action was held by sugar workers at all eight sugar estates yesterday including at the Rose Hall estate in Berbice, according to a GAWU representative. He said that operations at the sugar estates are currently winding down to end the crop, with the Rose Hall and Skeldon estates being the only two in operation at the moment.
Sugar workers have been on the picket line since last Thursday, and according to GAWU their main contentions are that Guysuco honour retroactive pay increases awarded by the arbitration tribunal before Christmas; the three percent awarded by the tribunal is seen as “too meagre” and that the annual production incentive usually awarded to them be paid as soon as possible.
The Gobind Ganga-led arbitration tribunal, which was set up by the Labour Ministry, ruled last Tuesday that the sugar workers be awarded a 3% wage hike by March 10, 2010. Prior to the ruling of the tribunal the sugar workers were demanding a 10% increase in wages and salaries and have since disputed the award which is legally binding.
