Sugar workers attached to the Uitvlugt factory yesterday protested over their hours of work – in light of the COVID-19 curfew – and certain outstanding payments owed to them.
After the protest agreement was reached on the outstanding payments.
A press release yesterday from main sugar union, GAWU stated that at the moment, the factory workers are engaged in out-of-crop maintenance work as the first crop ended a few weeks ago. It explained that at the commencement of the out-of-crop period, the workers and GAWU reached an agreement with the Management wherein the working hours would be confined to outside of the national curfew hours.
It further stated that initially the estate had sought the workers be divided into two shifts. Through the proposed arrangement, workers on the second shift would have concluded their work during the curfew period. At that time, the union drew to the estate’s attention that during the cropping period many workers had faced difficulties with the law enforcement officers while returning home during the curfew period although they were deemed essential workers. In view of what prevailed, it was agreed that workers would not be required to work during the curfew period. And it was further suggested, that appropriate representation be made to the authorities to ensure workers do not confront similar difficulties should the curfew period prevail when the second crop commences.
The statement further said that the estate did not honour the agreement and suddenly began to demand that the workers be organised into the previous arrangement although it was shelved following the union’s representation. Moreover, there was no advice about whether any successful representation was made in order to avoid the difficulties workers faced when returning home during the curfew hours. At the same time, the workers also recognised that the requirement to have them all working at once prevented adequate social distancing.
“During the cropping period, to maintain round-the-clock operations, workers are staggered in three shifts. Since 24-hour operations were no longer necessary, at this time, all the workers were required to be present. In view of the large number of workers present, the union suggested two shifts of workers be organised during the initially agreed hours of work. This suggestion came against the background, that the estate has approved similar arrangements for its administrative staffers, undoubtedly, to protect their health and wellbeing. However, the Uitvlugt management has not yielded to the suggestion from the union and the workers. Indeed, it is felt that this is not in keeping with adequate safety and health practices in the era of COVID-19,” the statement said.
The workers also protested as their holiday-with-pay payment for those who have ten or more years of service has been delayed for two weeks now. The statement explained that sugar workers working in the fields and the factories receive holiday-with-pay payments in lieu of annual leave. This arrangement is among the benefits set out in the extant Collective Labour Agreement between the Union and the GuySuCo. Regarding the payment, the workers entitled were told on the day before, that the Corporation lacked funds for the payment, the statement said. This was not received well by the workers, given that many of them were anxiously awaiting their entitlements and the delay for them had been upsetting.
This issue was resolved after the protest when the union was informed by GuySuCo that the workers would finally receive their outstanding monies later this week. This information was later confirmed to Stabroek News by GuySuCo’s Communications Manager Audreyanna Thomas. Regarding all the aforementioned issues brought up during the protest, Thomas said “We had communicated with those employees that they would be paid later this week.”
She also agreed that the reason for the delay was because the monies were not available for the company to pay. “We didn’t have the funds so we informed them that as soon as the funding is available they would be paid.
They were informed of this,” Thomas responded when asked if the workers were told that their entitlements would be delayed. She was also quoted as saying, “Our workers are always working on holidays. So we have a system for holiday with pay… [but] in order to pay, we have to have the money to pay.”
As for the “difficulties with law enforcers,” Thomas assured that the matter was dealt with after it was brought to their attention. She said that a lorry is being provided for and ID cards were issued for the workers so that they would not have such issues. Thomas also said that because the sugar workers are classified as “essential workers”, the police are aware that these workers will be heading home after 6pm. She further mentioned that the factory workers have been working from 7 am to 4 pm to avoid leaving the factory past the curfew.
The union statement added that “The GAWU is heartened that the workers can receive their outstanding entitlements though it is saddened that they were forced to take protest actions to have their rights respected. Disappointingly it has, in recent times, become the norm, rather than the exception, for workers to take protest actions in order for them to benefit from what they worked and earned. We, at this time too, look forward to better sense prevailing and sensible measures be employed to protest the health and wellbeing of workers and their families. Indeed we all must play our role and appropriate work arrangements should be embraced at this time.”
