Ninety-seven workers of the Wales Estate are expected to be paid their severance benefits on Friday following the conclusion of a court case last week.
The payments were due to be paid on May 4 but were deferred after the sugar workers’ unions, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) secured an interim injunction restraining GuySuCo from proceeding with plans to sever the employment of workers unless it consulted with them in accordance with section 12 of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act.
Reports are that the court ruled in favour on the unions, but, surprisingly, no information regarding the case had been forthcoming from either the unions or GuySuCo.
Despite wanting the estate to remain in operation, some workers had decided to accept severance because they were already out of jobs.
They told Stabroek News yesterday that they are excited to receive their cheques on Friday morning and would decide whether they would be investing or saving the money.
They were disappointed that the management of GuySuCo said at a meeting on Thursday with the three unions that “sugar has no future and they would not make a profit.”
The estate’s cane farming operation will close at the end of the year as part of GuySuCo’s restructuring. The corporation will embark on rice farming on almost 500 acres of land as part of its diversification project.
Meanwhile, the private cane farmers who were also worried about their future, met with Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott yesterday.
