Meeting cancelled
Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Human Resources Director, Jairam Petam yesterday said that while workers at Rose Hall estate had returned to work those at Wales, LBI and Enmore were still on strike.

As a result, GuySuCo has indicated to the main sugar union, GAWU that the meeting scheduled before the strike for today had been cancelled. Sources say that the matter was now likely to move to conciliation at the Ministry of labour next week.

Petam reiterated that the strike was having a deleterious effect on production and export commitments made by the corporation.

The workers went on strike on Wednesday despite the fact that the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and GuySuCo had met at what was described as a cordial wage negotiating session on Tuesday. The two sides had however not been able to bridge the gap. The corporation stuck to a 4.5% offer and the union 14.75%.

A press release on Wednesday from GAWU had acknowledged that gangs of cane harvesters attached to the Enmore, LBI, Rose Hall, Albion and Wales estates had resorted to industrial action with effect from (Wednesday) demanding an increase in pay… The action by the workers caught the Union and undoubtedly the Corporation by surprise especially in light of the last day’s discussion which can be described as cordial.”

It added “The Union, in recognizing, the need to have the negotiations concluded as early as possible has intimated to the Corporation its willingness to refer the dispute to Conciliation if the parties cannot arrive at a negotiated settlement at the bilateral level.”

Stabroek News was told by a member of the Union that there was to be a meeting on Monday among GUYSUCO, GAWU and the Ministry of Labour in an effort to seek a resolution of the industrial imbroglio.

President of the union Komal Chand had on Thursday told the media that inflation was a key issue in the determination of the requested wage increase.

Union officials were not available to Stabroek News yesterday on the continuing strike despite repeated attempts.