Workers across the sugar belt went on strike to press for higher wages yesterday with the Guyana Sugar Corpora-tion (GuySuCo) warning that unless production is upped, it would be unable to offer a “reasonable” increase.
GuySuCo warned that the industrial action could see production next year being negatively affected. The Guy-ana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said that workers would return to work today, but some workers on the ground said that the strike will continue until GuySuCo makes a decision. The strike was not supported by all and work continued on some of the estates.
In a statement, the GAWU said that the eight sugar factories and cane harvesting across the industry came to a standstill yesterday as thousands of workers insisted that GuySuCo indicate its intention “in terms of approving an appropriate increase in wages and salaries for 2010”.
The union said that despite a number of meetings between the corporation and GAWU, including discussions with the acting Chief Execu-tive Officer and Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board, the corporation continues to avoid reference to any upward adjustment of its remuneration. The statement said that workers recalled the “ridiculously low percentage wage/salary increase” last year in spite of the heightening cost of living. “The corporation’s current predicament of securing under 60 per cent attendance of cane cutters on any working day to harvest canes, is a result of the continuous falling purchasing power of the workers evidenced by inflation rates overtaking real increase in pay, in recent years,” GAWU said.
The union recalled that over the past few years, before October or on the first week of October, GuySuCo had been able to indicate a percentage of the pay hike. “The corporation’s inference at last Friday’s meeting between the two parties that production of 264,000 tonnes sugar would have to precede an offer by the corporation is unacceptable. The corporation’s representative informed the union’s negotiators ‘at this time the corporation is not too clear that 264,000 tonnes could be achieved (for 2010). On that basis it is not in a position to make an offer.’ The union however cannot agree to having the wage increase determined at the conclusion of the year’s production. This is not normal union-company procedure,” GAWU said.
The statement said the union seeks to begin negotiations with the corporation “in earnest” and the sugar workers would return to work tomorrow. “The union wants the corporation to stop its dilly-dallying stance it has unfortunately adopted in this negotiation and ensure that there is a conducive atmosphere to capitalize on the current favourable weather conditions for cane harvesting. The maximum production could be ensured in a climate of industrial compromise and peace,” GAWU said.
At the Uitvlugt estate yesterday, workers marched briefly and then dispersed. GAWU’s Factory Represen-tative Nazim Haq told Stabroek News that about 80% of field workers were on strike while for the shift factory workers, 60% joined in the industrial action. According to some workers, GuySuCo is saying that it does not have money to pay an increase but senior personnel are getting large benefits and the same money could be used to pay them an increase. “We ain’t want promises. We want fulfilment,” said one worker. Another field representative, Imran Ally, said that the strike will go until the corporation makes a decision.
At Wales, despite the strike some work was ongoing in the fields and tractors brought cane to the factory. At Blairmont, a number of workers marched. They held placards with slogans such as “Guysuco biggest setback is Skeldon – mount an inquiry” and “Legacy of mismanagement – today’s reality”. GAWU’s Field Secretary Harridial Ramdihal said that 98% of workers there supported the strike.
Disappointment
GuySuCo, meanwhile, expressed disappointment at the strike saying in a statement that the union has indicated that the strike action is aimed at applying pressure on the corporation into making an across the board wages and salaries increase for 2010. However, the corporation said, any offer for an increase this year must be contingent on the industry at least achieving the revised target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar.
It noted that last week was the only week the corporation achieved 9,800 tonnes of sugar and with ten weeks remaining for the second crop, the industry will have to produce over 10,000 tonnes weekly to achieve the 2010 target. The statement said that GuySuCo has informed GAWU that unless it is encouraged by increased workers turnout and productivity, it would not be in a position to make any reasonable offer for wages and salaries increases.
“Currently the workers turnout figures and production are far below their targets,” GuySuCo said. The highest attendance for the current crop was recorded at 68% at Blairmont and the lowest of 43% at Skeldon, with an industry average of 57%. Low workers turnout has a direct consequence on grinding. The highest average figure recorded for grinding at the factories per week is 130 hours at Rose Hall and Blairmont, with the lowest of 66 hours recorded at LBI. The average recorded across the industry is 103 hours.
“If the industry has to achieve a minimum of 10,000 tonnes of sugar per week for the remainder of the crop, the factories will have to grind at least 135 hours per week,” the statement pointed out. It added that on average, factories across the industry have recorded weekly out of cane periods amounting to one and a quarter day. During this period, 33,000 tonnes of cane could have been processed producing approximately 2,800 tonnes of sugar. This would have a significant negative impact on the corporation’s cash flows and would severely affect its ability to meet any wage increase, the statement said. “If this situation continues, then it means that 330,000 tonnes of canes would not be crushed, resulting in 29,000 tonnes of sugar not being made.
GuySuCo said it is willing to have the unions audit its financial statements to verify that its financial position supports its stance that it cannot meet the unions’ demands. The statement also recalled that on October 12, Chairman of the GuySuCo Board of Directors Dr Nanda Gopaul along with other senior officials met representatives of both GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) to discuss the issues and they were urged to encourage the harvesters to improve on their attendance. “Given the existing dry weather, the industry is losing very valuable opportunity time for harvesting. The strike will also have a very deleterious effect on tillage and replanting which will affect production next year,” GuySuCo warned. It said the strike action will have a knock down effect on production and will result in the industry losing the opportunity to produce approximately 1,600 tonnes of sugar “which may or may not be made up for later in the crop”. According to the statement, the corporation has been through a very difficult period in the past five years with production way below its potential.
“It is felt that with the (production) of 264,000 tonnes sugar this year and even better production in 2011, the corporation is making progress in turning around the industry which would be beneficial to all workers. “It would also allow the corporation to better reward workers with improved wages,” the statement said.
It added that the workers have played a major part in assisting the corporation through the difficult period experienced and it appealed to them to continue to support the industry as they can only benefit from its turnaround.
