All laid off sugar workers of the Guyana Sugar Cor-poration can soon expect to be paid the remainder of their severance as both sides of the House last night voted in favour of $2.451 B in supplementary funding for that cause.
All workers will be paid,” Minister of Agricul-ture Noel Holder told the Committee of Supply when he was asked by Opposition Member Gillian Burton if the sums included workers of the Wales estate. The outstanding severance pay has sparked numerous protests by former sugar workers, their union and residents of the affected communites.
Holder was pressed for an exact timeframe by both Burton and Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira but would not commit to a date as he explained that he could only say “soon” since the questions were asked before the request for additional funding was approved by the House. “Right now there is no money, it has to be passed by the House so I cannot answer until after that,” he said.
He would later add that if the opposition agrees to the supplemental funds the money would be disbursed soonest and most definitely before the end of the year as has been promised.
The House had previously approved $1.931 billion for severance payments, which along with $500 million that had been allocated in the 2018 national budget facilitated a total payout of $2.431 billion in January.
At that time, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, in whose name the supplemental was laid, had said that this sum would facilitate full severance by the end of January for a little more than 1,600 of the 4,763 sugar workers that had been made redundant by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) as part of its restructuring programme. This represented those sent home by GuySuCo who were entitled to severance payouts of $500,000 or less. The other workers received 50% of their severance, with a promise that the remaining sums would be paid in the second half of the year.
The approval of the latest request would put the severance paid out to GuySuCo workers at a total of $4.882 billion.
Holder has indicated that a total of 4,763 sugar workers have been severed. Of that number, 1,851 are from the Skeldon Estate, 1,181 from the Rose Hall Estate, 1,480 from the East Demerara Estate and 251 from the Wales Estate. Yesterday he gave an increased number of workers at Wales at 504.
Holder had previously explained that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has assumed responsibility for additional drainage pump stations, the maintenance of 4, 560 additional miles of drainage and irrigation canals along with 1,000 miles of access dams and 760 bridges and more than 14,000 airfield structures.
A $600 million allocation was sought and approved in May and an additional $600 million is now being requested.
Included in this sum is $350 million to cover expenditure for drainage and irrigation work previously performed by GuySuCo, and $250 million for increased expenses incurred by the NDIA.
“The authority has also increased operational and maintenance cost of machinery and equipment due to extensive and unplanned works resulting from the prolonged rainy season and 10 additional pieces of machinery as a result of the court decision relative to the NDIA vs GUYTRAC,” the remarks attached to the request explains.
The restructuring of GuySuCo has cost the government in excess of $6 billion this year alone as it has not only made severance payments but has also had to increase allocations to the NDIA to cover expenditures in line with its increased drainage and irrigation responsibilities.
Opposition Parliamen-tarian and President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, Komal Chand led most of the questioning about the funds and lamented that workers at the Wales estate felt the brunt of waiting on their monies. “Money is due since December 2016 to 460 workers of Wales. Assuming the funds are passed, how soon will the workers get their money?” Chand questioned.
He told the Committee of Supply that the opposition will not oppose the funds being sought as it has been championing the rights of the laid off workers tirelessly.
But when Chairman of the Committee Dr. Barton Scotland first asked for those members who are in favour of the funding to say ‘Aye’ only government’s side responded. He asked those not in favour and the opposition remain-ed silent as is the case to signal that the responding side had won.
However, Prime Minis-ter Moses Nagamootoo requested that the Chairman go to a division of the Committee, so that a count might be had.
As the count was being taken by Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, PPP/C parliamentarians heckled Nagamootoo. “Yuh navel string reject yuh”, said MP Ali told him, making reference to his recent visit of his hometown of Whim Corentyne. PPP Executive Secretary, Zulfikar Mustapha chimed in, “We nah want yuh back ah Whim. Jagdeo ah chase yuh out de place”. Jagdeo last week also campaigned at Whim the same day that Nagamootoo was in that village.
The opposition’s heckles seemed not to move Nagamootoo, as he ignored them for most of the time.
When the count was completed all 62 of 65 present members of the House voted in favour. Absent yesterday were PPP/C’s Bheri Ramsaran and Clement Rohee while on the government’s side was Vice President Sydney Allicock.
Holder has assured that government will work to expedite the payments to the workers.
