The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the union GAWU yesterday reached a deal on compensation for striking Albion Estate harvesters whose daily output has been affected by flood damage to canes.
A release from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) yesterday said that
GuySuCo proposed that for this crop only at Albion, recognizing the unique situation, the workers would be compensated for the difference between their usual productivity per punt and the actual canes cut and loaded or cut and stacked.
The release said that to receive the compensation, the workers would have to complete their tasks assigned. The agreement also places a limitation on the task assigned to workers in keeping with longstanding practices.
GAWU’s President, Seepaul Narine said in the release that the Union was heartened that the Corporation listened carefully and considered the concerns of the workers and the Union and that an agreement could be reached. He said this augured well for worker/management relations and is hopeful for further improvement in the GAWU/GuySuCo relations.
GuySuCo’s CEO, Sasenarine Singh also expressed the Corporation’s appreciation to the workers and the Union. He said that it was heartening that the Union and the Company could sit down and discuss matters in a mature manner.
Close to 200 of the Albion Estate’s cane harvesters took to the streets on Saturday to protest for financial assistance due to the impact of the May/June floods, which damaged the estate’s sugar cane, resulting in a drastic drop in their weekly earnings since the start of the new crop.
The workers, who had been striking since last week, protested along the Albion Estate road, where they started fires and used pieces of wood to block traffic to and from the estate for some time.
Four of five cane harvesting gangs had been on strike, accounting for some 1,146 workers.
On Saturday, GuySuCo said “Since the commencement of harvesting operation on August 18, 2021, the estate has been facing a number of challenges as a result of the sixty five (65) days of flooding of the entire cultivation. The canes deteriorated and develop adventitious roots, side shoots and tillering which have resulted in its reduced quality”.
A cane harvester, Arjune Veerasammy, 55, of Kilcoy, Corentyne told Stabroek News on Saturday, “Since crop start people na earn no kind money. The pressure a build pon the cane harvester and only the backdam people a feel it because due to the flood them cane dead. Some dry. You na make you tonnage so it very hard. It very hard.”
Veerasammy, who has been with the estate for 33 years, noted that close to 1,300 persons were affected. “We need improved payment because why the people na turn out they prefer go and do outside work – construction and catch fish – because you na really earn anything here right now.”
Another worker, Nicholas Paul, 45, of Fyrish Village, Corentyne, added, “It’s over five weeks now we reaching with this problem… One time them tell you when you finish you cane, them get another alternative work for you [to] do.”
GuySuCo, however, said that with the harvesters unable to achieve their daily minimum punt weight of 6.5 tonnes due to the dry sugar cane available for harvesting this season, they have been assigned additional work to meet at least the minimum wage as outlined by the Ministry of Labour. However, they have been seeking financial compensation without having to complete the additional work.
The frustrated Paul, who has given over 20 years’ service to the estate thus far, questioned on Saturday how they would be able to “cut cane” then proceed to carry out other tasks at the estates. “How you go work and then go do another job the same day for the same pay? All a we a human beings too. We ain’t working with machine and oil.”
