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.