The Rose Hall Sugar Estate yesterday hired 113 persons and the process will continue today with a total of around 200 to be taken on.
The recruitment is part of the promised reopening of the estate and Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) officials at the location said that they are looking to rehire at least 880 workers by the end of 2021.
Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh, yesterday pointed out that since taking office, the government had ordered that three of the four shuttered sugar estates be reopened. He added that an International Labour Organization (ILO) socio-economic study which was done in collaboration with GAWU revealed that in Canje and environs, “the socio economic implosion was brutal, brutal in the fact that suicides went up, alcoholism went up and all sorts of social illness went up. I have seen evidence to show that the poverty rate went up in this local economy.”
He noted that despite the recent disastrous flooding, they have not “held back” and continue to work to ensure that the estate is reopened on schedule. “This government is committed to bringing dignity to the lives of the people. GuySuCo will process everyone interested in a job, the process is very simple, there is an application form which GuySuCo will help you fill together, and we will work as a team. You have to do your medical today if you are interested in a job [and] once you have your medical, GuySuCo will have a discussion with regards to employing you in a role at Rose Hall Estate. We are going to make the process easy”, he said.
GuySuCo Human Resources Director (Ag), Vemen Walter, said that presently 463 persons are currently employed at the Rose Hall Estate, and that by the end of 2021 they are hoping to have at least 880 persons hired.
However, according to Walter, overall, the estate will need a total of 1,844 persons once it comes fully into operation. “We are employing severed persons and new persons, skilled persons, unskilled, general labourers, any category – of course we will need to have persons with the requisite skills set in the factory and other technical areas. We know for a fact we will not have what we really want so what we have to do is train these people and that is why we will employ them as a porter, cleaner, however we are going to train them. We are going to develop them to make them craftsmen to make them fitter machinists, to make them welders, electricians.”
Walter added that GuySuCo’s Port Mourant Training School will be used to facilitate these training programmes, as it has been doing for other companies and organisations.
However, in terms of cane harvesters who are not yet needed at the Rose Hall Estate, Walters explained that those persons will be employed at the Albion Estate with the intention of relocating them to the Rose Hall Estate once the need for cane harvesters arises at that location.
“We are hoping today we can employ in excess of 100 persons but if we can have 200 persons we will employ them, if we have 300 we will employ them,” Walters explained.
Yesterday afternoon, estate officials reported that a total of 220 persons showed up for employment with 113 being employed (inclusive of 11 females). Forty-seven persons (30 Clerical, 16 Tradesmen and 1 JLT) will be taking the Pre-Employment Test/Trade Tests today. The others who showed up yesterday will continue the employment process today.
Rose Hall Estate
Meanwhile, acting Estate Manager, Balraj Dhanraj, who is originally from the Canje Community, expressed his excitement at being part of the effort to reopen the estate despite the challenges which come with the task.
Aaron Dukhia was initially selected to manage the estate, however, Dhanraj is holding the reins as Dukhia is currently on four weeks leave.
According to Dhanraj, major works are continuing in the field and factory. However, he noted that the tillage work which was ongoing in the fields is on pause on account of the inclement weather, however, they are speedily moving ahead with the works on the factory following an evaluation which was done to determine the magnitude of work which would be necessary to return the factory to full capacity.
“The plan for the factory is to open and inspect all the units, there are numerous units, the plan is to open and inspect and this is to ensure that they are mechanically and electrically sound, and apart from that, they are safe to operate.”
He related that during this process they have an opportunity to replace all the defective parts so as to ensure the factory can operate to its fullest capacity. He made reference to the pre-milling department where the gantry, carriers, and night turbines are being serviced. And in the milling department, the mill has since been dismantled completely and all the parts inspected. “We saw that there are three rollers to be replaced on the Number 4 mill, one roller on the Number 3 mill and then we have to replace the scraper and trash plates.”
Turning to the boilers, he noted that out of the six being used, they are re-tubing the Number 6 boiler and have replaced all the generating tubes while the tubes for the other five boilers are being cleaned. “The boilers also, we remove all the boiler valves that we open and inspect… Inspection is going on right now to see which has to be repaired and we are working on the bagasse carriers, we’re servicing bearings for the boiler.”
In the power house, Dhanraj said that they are removing the Blackstone engine and replacing it with a new 400 kilowatt set, while in the process house the tubes are being replaced on the Number 4 evaporator, “We are working on the crystallizers to replace all the elements and the drums and the structural work on the process house, some of the structure has deteriorated to such an extent that they need to be replaced.”
The acting Estate Manager also informed that they have since contracted out the repairs needed for the roof of the process house. “We are repairing the process house roof, that work has started about three days ago and it is expected to be completed in 90 days.” Also, the Number 2 chimney will have to be replaced along with the boiler roof and the milling plant roof. “So those jobs will be contracted out.”
Stabroek News was also told that presently there are 93 persons employed in the factory department and 231 in the field department, while additional staff are employed in other departments. However, he emphasised that a larger work force is needed to complete the planned work on time hence the recruitment drive. “Regardless who come for employment we will employ and train them, we will take that upon ourselves to train the people so that they can fill the gap that we have.”
Some of the persons who were eager to be employed at the Rose Hall Estate yesterday told Stabroek News that it has been a tough and long process to gain employment in the area and that they are hopeful that the estate can provide some long-term employment as it has done in the past.
Yesterday’s recruitment drive attracted young, old, male and female persons through Canje, New Amsterdam and the Lower Corentyne areas.
Avinash Barran, 19, of Reliance, East Canje Berbice, said, “The work make me come out. I use to do mason and construction on and off, when you get it you got to take it because you na get that steady.”
Another person, Joshua Lakeram, 23, of Betsy Ground Village, East Canje Berbice, who is also a part-time painter and mason worker, stated, “Work these days hard to find and if estate giving a job, the young supposed to take the job instead of being on the road. It na make sense deh on the road, it na make sense you idling, that the reason make I come out for a job because nuff youths these days deh without a job and doing all the wrong things.”
He stressed, “I want a regular job where you can get salary every week and that’s the reason make I come estate. I does do painting good but I don’t get the work how I want it but at the estate now you sure every week you getting work.”
Nandanie Parsaram, 21, who is currently supervising CSEC examinations, visited the location with the hope of getting a clerical job. She said that it has been “very difficult” to secure employment elsewhere.
Dhanraj Harricharran, 57, of Number 7 Village, Corentyne, who was severed from the Rose Hall Estate stated that he hopes to be re-employed as a cane harvester.
According to Harricharran, he was planting a small garden and making do with that but now he is hoping to regain full time employment. “Now the factory a open back, at least everybody gonna get a lil work,” he opined.
Hemwattie Devi Indrapaul, 52, who was previously a market vendor visited the location hoping to be hired as a cleaner and wash person. “If I have the job I will feel glad,” she told Stabroek News as she was preparing to undergo her medical yesterday.
She explained that she quit being a vendor after there was a slowdown of business some years ago. However, she said that she has always been independent and hopes to continue down that path “and do something for myself.”
At about 9 am yesterday over 150 persons had already registered for employment at the Rose Hall Estate.
