The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has expressed consternation at the protest action initiated by field workers attached to the Blairmont and Albion sugar estates who are demanding severance pay from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and has urged them to resume duties.
In a release yesterday, the MoL said that the recognized union for the workers, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and GuySuCo have had several discussions on the matter at bilateral level. The talks concluded that the workers were not entitled to severance pay and therefore, no industrial dispute exists, the ministry said.
Further, the MoL noted that the request for the workers to return to the Rose Hall estate has been shelved, and thus, the issue that may have led to the protest in the first place no longer exists.
Therefore, according to the release, MoL “does not see it appropriate to intervene in this matter since no industrial dispute or breakdown in negotiation arose. Good industrial relations practices contemplate dialogue where grievances are discussed with management before industrial relations action is taken. It is clear in this instance that the workers ignored the position of their representative union, GAWU, and acted on their own volition or they were being misled.”
The ministry also stated that it is concerned with what it described as “the unnecessary attempts to politicise the issue which, from all appearances, are being furthered to mislead the workers.”
As such, MoL is urging the workers who have “misguidedly stayed away from work” to resume duties with immediate effect to avoid the continued contractual breach with their employer, while optimistic that good sense will prevail on the part of the workers in this matter.
The release added that the ministry wished to reiterate that it is committed to, encourages, and willingly facilitates improved industrial practices, conditions of work, and safe work environments for all workers. “We remain available to assist parties in reaching a mutual agreement, where disputes arise, in the interest of all sides.”
