There was a return to normalcy at sugar estates yesterday after Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) represented sugar workers returned to work after being on strike for one week.

Komal Chand

GAWU President Komal Chand says that the union is now prepared to engage in the arbitration process with GuySuCo from Monday. The union was issued with a formal invitation by Chairman of the Arbitration Panel Dr Gobind Ganga, which was accepted, Chand explained.

Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir imposed compulsory arbitration in the wage dispute after conciliation proceedings between the sugar corporation and the union ended in deadlock. During the final conciliation meeting, GuySuCo withdrew an offer of a 3 percent increase in wages and salaries for the year, saying that it was prepared to go to arbitration. This angered the workers who decided to engage in industrial action, even as GuySuCo argued that this was done in order to facilitate the arbitration process.

Meanwhile, the union has also expressed its disappointment that a programme, recorded by three of its members during which they presented the perspective of the union and the sugar workers on the issues facing the sugar industry, was not aired by the National Communications Network (NCN), as promised. The union has since written to Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Sattaur stating the position on the matter.

In the letter, the union noted that the “GuySuCo has its own full-length time on the same NCN TV programme to present its position on the issues” and argued that the refusal to air the recording featuring union members was not in keeping with the fundamental principles of journalism.

Chand told this newspaper yesterday that the action by the state-owned television station had forced the union to seek paid programming at other stations, including CNS Channel 6.