Sugar workers will receive five days’ pay API for 2010 following an agreement between the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
In a joint statement issued yesterday, it was reported that an agreement was reached for the Annual Production Incentive (API), which the corporation had said it was unable to pay because of low production.
GuySuCo had argued previously that an API was not possible based on the production levels, but the union continued to make representations on behalf of workers. GAWU’s position was that an award has always been determined on whatever is the year’s production. Government recently announced a $1 billion bailout for the sugar industry to help the corporation clear debts and pay off the 2010 API, but prior to this the parties met on four occasions this year to determine the quantum of days’ pay based on the production last year. The corporation ended last year with 220,818 tonnes of sugar.
GAWU has since referred to the API settlement as a further boost to workers’ morale, which the union noted has improved significantly over the past two weeks as the corporation was addressing the API issue. The joint statement also informed that production for the first crop as of yesterday was 15,893 tonnes sugar, and this is from across the estates, except two which are yet to commence grinding for the first crop.
Wales and Enmore are yet to commence their crop but the corporation is optimistic about a start in another two weeks at both estates to ensure that the weekly production appreciates to the targeted levels.
According to the statement, the corporation has been able to begin reaping the approximate 500,000 tonnes of canes that were not reaped last crop. Already, some 80,000 tonnes of the “carried over” canes have been reaped.
Further, GuySuCo said that cane cutters attendance at work has improved from 43% at the conclusion of the last crop to a range varying on the estates between 63% to 73 % currently.
