The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) remains hopeful that the David Granger administration would make provisions to pay sugar workers an increase in wages and salaries.
On Tuesday, over 3,000 workers from estates across the country took industrial action and some protested in front of the Ministry of the Presidency for an increase in wages and salaries, which they have not been granted over the past five years as a result of what they believe is clear discrimination.
General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine yesterday told Stabroek News that the union is hoping that the government would step in and offer an increase for workers. He argued that it has been five years since workers were given an increase and observed that within that time, increases were continuously given to employees within the public sector.
“You can’t leave the people in the sugar industry behind. They are working at minimum wage since 2014. That needs to come to an end,” Narine asserted.
Last Tuesday’s protest, GAWU had said, was aimed at persuading government, which is a major stakeholder in the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), “to bring an end to the wage freeze and approve a pay rise” for workers.
Last month, Alliance for Change executive member and former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin said that government cannot be blamed for GuySuCo workers not receiving wage increases. “GuySuCo is governed by a board of directors and if that Board of Directors decided that they can give a raise in pay that is entirely within their remit to do so. I don’t think you can blame the government if the Board of Directors does not see it fit to give their workers a raise…,” he had said.
The Board of Directors of the state-owned sugar company is appointed by the government.
GuySuCo’s Chief Industrial Relations Manager Deodat Sukhu, has said that the financials of the company shows that it cannot afford to pay an increase. Sukhu, who heads the GuySuCo’s negotiation team, related that the cash-strapped corporation does not have the revenue or cash flow to pay workers the requested increase.
He has said that this position was made known to union representatives during meetings in October and November.
Sukhu stated that the unions have been negotiating for a 15% increase, which would amount to $1.4 billion annually. He, however, noted that the company’s financials do not allow even for a 1% increase, which would amount to $80 million per year as it cannot afford it.
“We do not have the affordability. The board has recognised that workers need an increase but even if they say give workers the increase, the company does not have the money to pay. We have shown that to GAWU at the meetings,” Sukhu said.
