Approximately 2,740 severed Berbice sugar workers were yesterday given a one off cash grant to the total tune of $685 million based on a promise made by the current government while in opposition after the closure of the sugar estates by the APNU+AFC.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday told Stabroek News that 1,830 workers from the Skeldon estate were given the $250,000 cash grant, while 910 laid-off workers from the Rose Hall estate were slated to receive their grant.
At the two locations in Berbice yesterday, the hundreds of sugar workers gathered, all “excited” to receive their grant, which some said they planned to use to invest in a small business, and to save for “hard times.”
Mustapha along with Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh were present at both locations to oversee the commencement of the distributions yesterday. Both ministers stressed that the grant was the fulfilment of a promise made by the PPP/C to give direct support to the fired workers. They were pleased to note that they have since delivered on the promise since they are a caring government and have always had the interest of the sugar workers and their families at heart.
Highlighting the effects of the closure on the sugar estate, Mustapha said that the village economy within the areas where the workers were residing “died suddenly.”
“Many families were broken up, people had to go and find work different parts of the country, people had to give up utility services, people had to take out their children from school, people had to go and do minimal jobs.”
Additionally, Mustapha relayed that it was reported to him that one person even committed suicide as he was unable to manage the circumstances of being without an income after he lost his job due to the closure of the Rose Hall Estate.
“Today the PPP/c government is once again restoring your livelihood. That’s a tremendous achievement”, Mustapha declared.
The minister informed that almost 700 persons have since been re-employed at the Rose Hall Estate “We are leaving money in the community… and Rose Hall Estate will be one of the first estate that will be opened once again,” while urging the workers to use their grants wisely.
One of the workers, Osman Frank, 62, from Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice, stated that after he was let go as a cane harvester, he began making and selling brooms, a job which he was barely able to survive on. However, with his severance payment and his small income he tried his best to take care of himself and family.
The man said that he now plans to invest some of $250,000 to expand his small business, while saving some in case of an emergency.
Further, most of the workers who spoke with Stabroek News yesterday said that they were grateful for the money as they will now save some as a security blanket in case of health or other emergencies since they would have had to use most of their severance payments to make ends meet.
Azad Hussain, 58, who was a shipping clerk, was on his annual leave when he was informed via a letter that he did not have a job to return too since the estate would be closing. He said, after he was let go he then went to a supermarket in New Amsterdam where he was hired as a supervisor. However, he said, one day while working at the supermarket he received news that the estate was reopening. “I went right away and them take me back.”
Hussain said he found it extremely difficult to take care of his responsibilities when he lost his job but he tried the best he could with his severance payment. “It was hard, it was hard for everybody. Emotionally and financially, people were sad and had no idea what they were going to do.”
“Recovering now”
According to Hussain, it is only now that he along with his colleagues have started to recover from the closure as a direct result of the commencement of the process to reopen the Rose Hall Estate. “Like me, a lot of people went back to the estate and right now everything in full swing for the (re)opening. Me cleaning up the factory and them boys working in the fields but most people get back jobs.”
Yuvraj Madramootoo, 62, who was working in the middle dock when the estate closed, said that he also found it difficult to take care of his family after losing his job of 45 years. “This is a good thing, at least them keep them promise and see we through and we can save this money for we old age or do something with it, but we glad for it.”
Meanwhile, Tulsi, 49, a father of two, said that he is still unsure of how he survived the closure of the Skeldon Estate. According to him, after he was fired he suffered a stroke ending his capabilities to take care of his family. “Me work 24 years, the estate was very, very nice and then them close it. Me thankful for this, this go really help me.”
Tulsi’s wife who was present with him yesterday to receive the cash grant, explained that she had to cut all corners to balance her budget as after the estate was closed and her husband became ill, most of the responsibilities fell on her. “Whatever we get we had to try with we had no other choice… It was hard but we kept telling ourselves that we got to try.”
Kamlawattie Ramrattie, who was a sweeper/cleaner at the Skeldon Estate said that she cried for over one month straight after she was fired. “I didn’t know what me would a do or turn to. I get so fed up I just cry and cry and try with what me get.”
She said that although she has always been an independent woman, her daughter, a market vendor, was forced to assist her for sometime. “So me glad for this too, them really care for us. Them tell we them go do it and them do it,” she said.
Francine Charles, 43, who was a receptionist at the Skeldon Estate, said that she was very thankful for the grant. She recalled that it took her almost one year to secure another job after the closure.
