Comments on: Wage talks break down again …Sugar grinds to halt

By: Brandy

Brandy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:35:30 +0000

Look thsi is not abotumanagment The management is under a lot os pressure more than u can imagine and certain people might be used as scapegoats.You should belive everything you read. Soem stories are de;ibertley printed to make you think another thing alright!

By: swami persaud

swami persaud — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:06:39 +0000

First of all I dont understand why my comment was edited by Stabroek News. It is fact that Booker Tate managent failed in Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, Kenya and now in Guyana. Before you edit my comment please do research on the facts.

Regarding comments from Bluegrass, yes you can replace cane worker by mechanical harvester. Do you know how much each CAMECO harvester is costing Guysuco ? They paid approx. US$ 160000.00 for one Cameco harvester. They don’t have trained mechanics to service the harvester in time. Do Guysuco has money for capital investment? How will finance them?
Booker tate knows very well that cane worker is still cheaper then mechanical harvester. Stop wasting money and pay to hard working cane workers

By: renegade 776

renegade 776 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:35:14 +0000

Why are you living outside of Guyana? Why de hiibhy don’t you return to Guyana to live? I challenge you to return to Guyana, live and work and accept 5.25% increase of salary cutting cane in de backdam, I want you to bun in de sun. Don’t stay in America, come back to Guyana and face reality with the high cost of living. Why you run out from Guyana?

By: realist

realist — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:17:48 +0000

You should speak only of what u know, don’t speculate! we both know, that this is nonsense u are uttering, if government was in cohoots whith GAWU, the workers would have gotten 4 .25% not still be bargaining or striking, but i guess that blaming the government is the order of the day for everything , i guees if a dog get knock down on the road you would blame the government too, for building the road there!

By: GT787

GT787 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:04:09 +0000

That need not be the case, l recently read that B’dos with Brazilian support is turning to Ethanol – we can do the same with the Demerara estates – Where is the foresight? Ethanol from sugar cane is far cheaper to produce than with grains corn et al.

Just imagine B’dos and J’ca are into ethanol big time and we who are joined to Brazil at the hip with all the arable lands in the intermediate savannah and Canje (west) basin are being bypassed – SN should investigate what is the story there Mr Moderator.

Talking about lack of foresight, despite the years of delay of the Skeldon II project (factory), more than half of the required acreage has not been cultivated.

By: bluegrass

bluegrass — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:34:14 +0000

well time to end the fight, all they have to do is turn to modern technology, mechanical harvesting, what will the cane cutters do then.

By: Faceboy

Faceboy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:49:00 +0000

The estates are at a standstill and the labourers are at home, seems to me that they are all losing money , the main factor for this strike. Since Guysuco management and the Guyana Agricultral Workers Union are locked in a stalemate over the issue of a reasonable wage increase that shows neither party compromising, then they should meet half way on what the sugar workers need for their labour. The union is currently demanding 14.25% but Guysuco is offering only 4.5% which in my opinion is rediculous and need to be review and reoffer as 7.5% or 8% flat, this way, it’s a win, win for both Gaoysuco and the sugar workers and their families. Remember, cost of living is high, so give them something.

By: malaika06

malaika06 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:31:08 +0000

Aha! Now we finally get an acknowledgment from the Great PPP apologist!; there are incompetents functioning in high places:

“…the minister with the MBA is administrating on policies of agriculture,, is he an agronomist ? on land preparation ,, which includes drainage and irrigation,, is he a D&I engineer ,, on how to rear and care for cattle and live stock ,, is he vet? how sugar is produced and the benefits of a super modern factory,,, a subject of experience for this beneficiary of nepotism,,, will the minister with the MBA plz stand up and tell the nation when is the season for the fishing of red snapper?”

Well frenno, duplicate that in most of the ministries and that should give you a clear picture of how Guyana is being governed and where it is heading.

Why successive governments continue to rely on our primary products as the main source of foreign exchange, almost half a century since independence, beats me.

I never cut cane in my life, neither did I know of anyone who did. What I do know is that there are a lot of physically demanding jobs out there.

What I do know is that almost EVERYONE is suffering from the high cost of living, made worse by the implementation of VAT: teachers, nurses, police, government workers and just about every darn person!

By: Natasha Boston

Natasha Boston — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:27:04 +0000

People, people, GAWU is in cahoots with the government so of course the poor workers won’t get the amount they deserve. The whole ‘negotiations process’ is a farce.

By: Swami Persaud

Swami Persaud — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:17:29 +0000

How long Govt. can subsidise sugar industry? Need new management now.

We must act now to save Guysuco otherwise Guysuco will be history just like CARONI SUGAR in Trinidad.

President must understand that most of the cane workers are PPP supporter. They will not forget this issue in next election.

By: Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:54:49 +0000

SUGAR WORKERS IN GUYANA DESERVE BETTER WAGES. DURING THE YEARS WHEN THE PPP WAS IN OPPOSITION, SABOTAGE WAS RAMPANT. SEVERAL OF YOU READING THIS MAY REMEMBER THOSE WHO TOOK PART, I CAN.
THE PPP WAS AGAINST THE SUGAR LEVY, THEY ASSUMED POWER AND THEY DECIDED THAT THE SUGAR LEVY IS GOOD. SUGAR WORKERS CONTINUE TO SUFFER. THE GOVT. SQUANDERS MONEY HERE AND THERE. THE POOR WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR THE PPP GOT NOTHING, I REMEMBER THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN CHEDDI AND WORSHIPPED HIM. THE PNC ALSO HAD THE SUGAR WORKERS UNDER SIMILAR POOR CONDITIONS. FROM 1966 TO NOW, CONDITIONS IN GUYANA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON PAR WITH THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN. TODAY SEVERAL WORKERS AND FELLOW GUYANESE FLOCK TO THE CARIBBEAN AND BEYOND FOR BETTERMENT. POLITICS IN GUYANA IS ROTTEN.

By: Thoughtfull

Thoughtfull — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:29:54 +0000

How much longer can Guysuco survive? With declining income and not much buffer, the company will be in the red. Will the government subsidise the industry or will it be privitised?

By: bgsbny

bgsbny — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:18:14 +0000

…… so there ,, all u who are just delivering conjectures ! SWAMI PERSAUD is giving it to u from the horses mouth !

what say u all now ?,,,,, there is another colour on the canvas now ! that somehow has added light to the whole painting……

as for the waste that is ,, SKELDON…. how much more visionless can u b ,,, now they are planting the cane to feed the beast that will soon consume those whose lives are an integral part of the factory……

the minister with the MBA is administrating on policies of agriculture,, is he an agronomist ? on land preparation ,, which includes drainage and irrigation,, is he a D&I engineer ,, on how to rear and care for cattle and live stock ,, is he vet? how sugar is produced and the benefits of a super modern factory,,, a subject of experience for this beneficiary of nepotism,,, will the minister with the MBA plz stand up and tell the nation when is the season for the fishing of red snapper ?

By: GT787

GT787 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:49:50 +0000

l have cousin who are cane cutters (harvesters as they are called now) who has been complaining for the longest while that since the introduction of cane ripener which retards the growth of the cane while maintaining the sucrose content.

They are being short changed, since they are paid according to weight: less growth = less moisture / weight. l told one who is a GAWU Rep. that they should have the union renegotiate for them to be paid on the basis of sugar produced.

As they insist that they are cutting the same amount of beds & loading the same number of punts but the wages keep going down. This is what Guysuco and Gawu need to sit down and address and stop the charade, cane cutters are leaving to plant cash crops, rice and tends their cattle rather than put up with their current conditions of employment.

During the out of crop three or four days pay when you are lucky cannot sustain a family – it is the reality and with the escalating cost of living you can help but side with the workers. Cane cutting i know is arduous work – my mother did it.

While the union may be playing politics with Komal Chand sitting on Guysuco’s board the workers must be told the truth and be given their fair due.

By: realist

realist — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:30:10 +0000

CORRECT IS RIGHT!!

By: realist

realist — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:29:22 +0000

Sugar Workers have to live too, there is only so much that they can consider the national interest here, when ther are starving, or don’t know, if they have enough money to go to the shop and buy something or thir families to eat, or send there children to school.

By: realist

realist — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:25:15 +0000

IN reply to the above comment,It’s time to inject a little reality into these proceedings, Politics is not everthing, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU PPL. atleast for this issue, no body wants to funnel anything, people who support all political parties work in guysuco, from the canecutters to management, I have seen canecutters begging from house to house in the off seasons to get money to support their families because of the cost of living, the conditions in the backdam, they have to work in are utterly deplorable, i know because i see them very very often , this has to do with management’s inability to oversee the company’s interest, they look out for themselves, no one else. So before u rant about political motivtions, wake up and smell reality!

By: Satish

Satish — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:33:19 +0000

Let us hope that patriotic workers and patriotic managers sort this out with imaginative compromise.
Without compromise, things become needlessly difficult.

By: Swami Persaud

Swami Persaud — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:15:29 +0000

Sugar workers are working like a slaves and all the Booker Tate managers are enjoying the perks. Cane workers cannot trust management of the corporation. What kind of Finance Director they have? He cannot properly do the budget. He is approving all kind of perks for Management while cane workers are struggling to get any incentives.

It is unfair to blame cane workers for any disaster. Govt. should fired the Mangement for the disaster. Management fail to advise Govt. that investing in new factory was a bad idea. All the profit and cash flow is wasted in new factory.

FIRED THE MANAGEMENT NOW. REPLACE IMMIDATELY CHAIRMAN, CEO, AND FINANCE DIRECTOR.

CANE WORKERS DO NOT TRUST GUYSUCO MANAGEMENT. MINISTER SHOULD NOT FORCE ANY CANEWORKER TO WORK FORCEFULLY. STAY OUT OF OUR LIVES. WE ARE FEDUP WITH THIS MANAGEMENT.

By: coolieman

coolieman — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:04:32 +0000

workers and their union are playing politics with their survival why destroy the hand that feeds you beware of GAWU something else is playing out

By: shocked

shocked — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:32:24 +0000

Yea, I catch your drift. This is a big show. They want to funnel money to their supporters, but cannot just give it to them when they denied the public service, so go througt this big show, then agree to GAWU demands. What GPSU should do now, is strike in solidarity and demand the same. Let’s see what they will do then.

By: realist

realist — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:58:04 +0000

WHAT?

By: realist

realist — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:36:49 +0000

This is about wages, politics will not put food on the workers table, or money in there hands to survive, wake up and see reality-ANDY! not everything in life is about politics

By: yasuman71

yasuman71 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:18:12 +0000

Sugar workers and their union should consider the national interest here. Their strike is costing GUYSUCO and the government a lot of revenue. Who lose but themselves?