The Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU) says that hundreds of LBI estate workers struck on Thursday and yesterday to object to their planned transfer to the Enmore estate and the union accused GuySuCo of not wanting discussions on the matter.
At a press conference at its head office yesterday, President of GAWU, Komal Chand, told the media that the union has written a number of letters to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for dialogue but has “not even received an acknowledgment.”
The workers have taken strike actions to protest the merging of the two entities and the fact that they would not be receiving a “disturbance allowance.”
Some of the GAWU field representatives from the LBI estate journeyed to the head office yesterday, after the strike ended, to highlight their plight to the media.
They had told this newspaper that while they were receiving $3,300 per day at LBI, they were only paid $2,700 at Enmore. They were also joined in the strike by their colleagues from the Enmore estate.
Chand said the union “would like to have normalcy but the issues have to be addressed” and noted that the workers are being “forced to go to the other location but there are not similar payments.”
He said too that they should be paid the disturbance allowance, which is equivalent to one hour’s pay as it would take care of extra travelling time. If not, “they would lose in terms of pay and would also lose the one hour.”
He emphasized that they want dialogue with GuySuCo to resolve the issue so the strike can be discontinued. According to him, GuySuCo is “creating a situation of distrust where they are perpetuating workers to engage in strike and that is more frightening and negative to the industry.”
He said the second crop can also face the effects of the rain and as a result, GuySuCo may not make the production target of 185,000 tonnes.
Chand said the LBI cultivation has not been made redundant and that 2,700 hectares of land are under cultivation. He pointed out that “it would be sensible to have the workers in the field at every opportunity because if they continue to strike, down the road there would be a serious problem and they [GuySuCo] may not be able to reap the crop.”
Chand told the media that if the workers go back to the field, it “would avoid them [GuySuCo] having carried-over cane,” which is not so productive and is more costly to reap.
“We are hoping that good sense would prevail and that the CEO of GuySuCo [Errol Hanoman] who is at the helm, will take serious reflection of the situation, which would result in a breakdown of the relationship between the workers and the corporation, Chand said, while noting that “too much is at stake in the industry.”
He noted that the union and GuySuCo have had issues before when workers are transferred but they have been resolved through discussions and dialogue. He urged GuySuCo to “work together in the interest of the industry, the workers and the economy.
General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine said that the “termination of employment in the severance pay act clearly outlines that if a worker is to be transferred it must be at no less favourable condition.”
According to him, “Workers are (forcibly) being transferred and in the case of the planters, when they work at LBI they earn about $3,000 per day and to go to Enmore they would only work for $2,700 per day.
“The workers have to earn, they have to live and GuySuCo is creating a very serious atmosphere where not everyone would put their shoulder to the wheel,” the media was told.
Narine said too that “the cane cutters, shovel-men, weeders [mainly females], fertilizing hands, cane planters and others numbering about 450 are demanding that they be allowed to work within the LBI cultivation so that their union and their shop stewards could address a number of issues with GuySuCo.”
He said that “a female worker, Cde Sharon Smith explained a few days ago that at LBI Estate a task work is priced at $2,875 and a similar task is priced at $2,675 at Enmore Estate…”
On the other hand, he said, “the field workers of Enmore Estate are objecting to the manner their counterparts at LBI Estate are pushed over to their Estate…”
The Enmore workers have sought a meeting with the estate’s manager, who informed the union’s field officer that “GuySuCo already made its decision.”
Cane
Rampersaud Prasad, field secretary, said that as a result of the strike, cane that was loaded into 100 punts has been left in the field and another set that was burnt was supposed to be cut at both estates yesterday.
He reiterated that they want to meet with management to resolve the issue and if that is not done, the strike would continue next week.
“We need them to give us our disturbance allowance and let things go back to normalcy… We are willing to go to Enmore, we have no problem with that. That’s happening all the years…” Prasad said.
He said that agreement was made since 1976 and that up to last crop it was paid. He told this newspaper, “This is clear victimization… GuySuCo is playing deaf ears; they don’t want to listen to anybody.”
Leon Sinclair, a cane-harvester representative, said that at the end of the day they cannot complete the work which they are paid $2,700 for because the “working condition is bad.”
He said that before the start of the crop, they have to inspect the ramps, bridges and water punts.
But this crop, the cane-harvesting manager has denied them from conducting the inspection.
In the event that the workers face a problem with not having sufficient ramp, they would not be able to do anything.
Some days, he said, the water in the punt is heavily rusted and the workers are unable to drink it.
