Striking factory workers attached to GuySuCo’s Blairmont sugar estate met with their union representatives yesterday and an end to the industrial action appears in sight.
The workers downed tools last Friday and after returning to work over the weekend, they continued with their strike action on Monday over payments.
President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Komal Chand told this newspaper yesterday that the union met with representatives of the workers yesterday afternoon at the West Coast Berbice location to listen to their views and concerns.
He said that GuySuCo decided to close the factory earlier this week since the operations at the factory could not function without the workers who were on strike. He said that the corporation was making queries as regards the payments and according to him, the strike “has to be brought to an end because GuySuCo cannot afford to abandon the estate.”
Assistant General Secretary of GAWU Derek Thakur told Stabroek News yesterday that the 213 workers who took strike action did so because they did not receive an expected increase on their salaries. He said that the increase was expected to be made following a job evaluation. He explained that following the evaluation, some workers received increases, while others did not and he noted that it was the latter which began striking as a result of the situation.
Stabroek News understands that at the meeting with union representatives that was held at Blairmont yesterday afternoon, many concerns were vented by the workers, who have indicated that they will return to work providing their demands are met. Reports are that the strike action may end by Friday.
GuySuCo reported in a press release on Tuesday that prior to the workers walking off the job last Friday, management advised the union representatives and workers in the factory compound that all outstanding payments will be made on Friday, August 31, and that the other issues are within the purview of discussion between the union and the corporation, in accordance with the grievance procedure. According to Thakur, the workers were becoming impatient since the corporation appeared to be foot-dragging on the issue.
As a result of the disruption of its operations since Friday, GuySuCo said it had already lost $13M in revenue, and it is considering applying appropriate sanctions against the respective employees.
According to GuySuCo, the strike at Blairmont “is in blatant violation of the grievance procedure that provides, among others, for dialogue at various levels until a dispute or grievance is resolved, rather than for workers proceeding to abandon their jobs, thereby causing 485 punts of cane to perish and denial of work to 850 harvesters for two days already.”
The workers took strike action on Friday afternoon when the operation was in full swing.
Operations were normal on all shifts on Saturday and Sunday but on Monday, the workers of the 6 to 2 am shift in the factory and the entire workforce in the field workshop struck on the same demands made on Friday. The release stated that a meeting between senior corporate management and executives of the union was subsequently held late Monday afternoon at Blairmont.
This newspaper understands that the union will meet with the corporation within the next two days to discuss the issue amid expectations that the strike action will be brought to an end.
