-link between wage hike, production target seen as flashpoint
Most of the striking sugar workers who downed tools on Monday over wages and salaries resumed work yesterday even as the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) presses for continued negotiations with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
GAWU President, Komal Chand told Stabroek News yesterday that the sugar workers, with the exception of cane cutters at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) estate and two gangs at Rose Hall estate, have resumed work.
He said that ideally the workers would have wanted the protest to last for a few days rather than one day, but according to him the union was yesterday awaiting word from GuySuCo to resume negotiations. Efforts by Stabroek News to obtain a comment from GuySuCo on the issue yesterday were in vain.
Chand stated yesterday that the sugar corporation, ”needs to come and put something on the table, when you look at the previous years, by this time in October, we already had something”. He stated that what is of concern to the union is that GuySuCo officials implied last Friday at a meeting between the two bodies, that the only way the workers can receive an increase is if the corporation attains its production target. He said that the implication is, “unacceptable in light of cost of living and increases in prices of commodities”.
GAWU stated on Monday that workers would have returned to work yesterday, but some workers on the ground stated 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 released on Monday, GAWU said that the eight sugar factories and cane harvesting across the industry came to a standstill on Sunday 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 Executive Officer, Paul Bhim and Chairman of GuySuCo’s Board, Dr Nanda Gopaul 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 rising 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.
GAWU stated that the corporation’s representative at the meeting last Friday between the two bodies 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.
GuySuCo had 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 worker turnout and productivity, it would not be in a position to make any reasonable offer for wages and salaries increases.
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 corporation noted that the sugar 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.
