The three Berbice business chambers today expressed concern over the one-week strike in the sugar industry and called for immediate solutions to the problems of the beleaguered Skeldon factory while urging the unions to desist from striking.
In a joint statement, the Berbice Chamber, the Central Corentyne Chamber and the Upper Corentyne Chamber said they have been monitoring the situation closely.
The statement commended the government on its efforts to revitalize the entire industry but said the fact that the new Skeldon factory ”has been plagued with way too many problems since its commissioning simply cannot be overstated. Solutions have to be found immediately. It has to be fixed”. It said that the current efforts underway to address the technical problems at the factory are heartening.
It argued that the constant disruption and shutdown of the entire operations of the corporation is not the solution to the problems confronting the industry. It said it is extremely worried that Guysuco is considering the possibility of temporarily closing all operations during the strike.
The chambers declared that frustration by citizens of Region Six against the confrontational approach in the industry is mounting and as such it urged the striking workers to return to the bargaining table.
“The Chambers are warning that should our worst fears be realized and the operations of the industry grind to a halt, the local economy will never be able to absorb the many thousands that will be unemployed coupled with the direct negative effect this will have on the overall economic activity in the region”.
