Dozens of sugar workers supported by their union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), yesterday mounted another protest in front of the Ministry of the Presidency on Vlissengen Road for an increase in wages and salaries.
The group of protestors representing sugar workers from the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates were heard chanting that they need “salary increases.” The workers said government’s failure to address their calls for an increase seems to be an act of discrimination. Workers marched up and down the road with a large banner that carried the message “End Discrimination. Grant Pay Raises to Sugar Workers!”
Sugar workers have been asking for a 15 per cent increase. They have not received an increase over the past six years.
GAWU’s General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, yesterday said “Sugar workers are calling on President Granger to address the issue of wages and salary increase for them.”
“Workers in the Sugar Industry have not received an increase since 2014 despite the hike in cost of living over the years. You have all state employees except sugar workers enjoying an increase. We believe that it is a blatant act of discrimination and it ought to be address[ed] immediately,” Narine said while speaking to the media.
He argued that during the 2015 General and Regional Elections Campaigns, the APNU+AFC promised sugar workers a 20 per cent increase but to date this promise is still to be fulfilled.
Narine added that they took the initiative to send a petition signed by thousands of sugar workers to President David Granger making the case for an increase but they are still to receive a response.
“We sent it to the President, the President said he sent it to Guyana Sugar Corporation [GuySuCo] for advice. We are informed that GuySuCo did respond, we write him [President] again and he said that he has sent it to [Agriculture] Minister [Noel] Holder and that we will hear from Minister Holder. It has been a long time now and we haven’t heard a single word from Minister Holder nor has the President said anything back to us on this matter,” Narine lamented.
He noted that while they share the president’s view of making the functioning estates profitable, the union is of the view that workers need an increase in order to be encouraged.
“If he cares so much why is he failing to address the issue? We deserve an increase like anyone else, every state sector employee, except those in GuySuCo, they are being discriminated against [with] not a single cent increase under his presidency,” Narine asserted.
President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) Carvil Duncan, also joined with workers and called on government to address the wages and salaries issue.
Duncan said that the workers are only seeking an increase as a means of surviving and providing for their families. He reasoned that the prices for commodities have increased and while the rest of the population is able to afford such, sugar workers are struggling since they have less money in their pockets.
Unjustifiable
“We believe it is unfair and unjustifiable to give some workers increases and don’t give some [as] we are all Guyanese. If you can give increases to the public sector what happen to the sugar workers who are now working? All they [sugar workers] are saying is look, we have a family to maintain and if everybody else is getting an increase and we don’t get what happen? We have to buy the same thing at the same price but we are taking home less money,” the head of FITUG declared.
Meanwhile, Lochan Khandai, an Uitvlugt Estate cane harvester told reporters that with the daily increase in the cost of living, their wages and salaries cannot make ends meet. He rejected claims by government officials that some sugar workers are earning over $2 million a year. He stated that since 2014, a cane harvester is being paid $2,040 per day.
“…We are working for $2,040 per day since 2014 and unto today we are getting that. Every day we go into the shop some [items] raise by $20 how would people cope?” the cane harvester questioned as he pointed out that the cost of transportation has increased by 40 per cent.
“Transportation was $60 for short drop but today its $100. Where are we going to find this money? Are they checking how we are living? If we were working for that money that they say we are working for we won’t have been on the road today,” the visibly frustrated worker said.
Since 2019, workers have been protesting for an increase in wages and salaries. In addition to the protesting, they also went on strike.
Alliance for Change executive member and former Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had 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 negotiation team, related that the cash-strapped corporation does not have the revenue or cash flow to pay workers their 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.
