The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) say they were informed at a meeting this afternoon by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Dr Rajendra Singh along with members of GuySuCo’s Industrial Relations Department that the Corporation is unable to pay Senior and Junior staffers of the Corporation this month’s salary (May, 2015).
In a joint statement, the two unions s
aid that Dr Singh indicated that the Corporation might have to cease its operations on all Estates with effect from (Sunday) May 31, 2015 unless funding to the Corporation becomes available within a few days.
Should the Corporation cease its operations, the CEO explained all employees – waged and salaried – except security personnel would not be provided with work from (Sunday) May 31, 2015, the statement said.
The joint statement said that the CEO also advised the Unions that the Government has been notified of the situation.
GAWU and NAACIE say they believe that the ceasing of operations by the Corporation would further jeopardize the state of the industry and impact negatively on some 16,000 workers of the industry.
The two Unions say they are therefore calling on the new Government ensures the continuation of the industry’s operation at this crucial time.
Despite being severely in debt for some years now, GuySuCo has been able to make payments to its workers even if late. Observers say it is curious that just days into the life of this new government the corporation is saying that it is unable to pay and may have to cease operations.
