Dear Editor,
I read in dismay yet again in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek the futile effort the Honourable Minister of Agriculture is making in trying to salvage an industry for which the problems are so obvious. The minister seems to be unaware that it is the staff members of Guysuco and not the workers who would normally purchase alcohol at the staff club on the estates. Drug abuse is indeed a problem in some sections of our community but how many of those cases are related to alcohol consumed on the estates? How ridiculous! If he now orders an alcohol-free zone on the estate what will be the anticipated increased production and how will this reduce the impact of the EU price
cut? Come on Minister you need to address the core of the problem in GUYSUCO.
The estates are grinding seven days a week in crop but a worker is only required to work four days to be entitled to all the benefits so the worker has enough time on his hand to engage in social activity and this is one of the main reasons for drug abuse and related domestic problems. The four days qualification has changed the whole culture of the sugar industry putting additional pressure on those who have to manage to find additional people to deliver, leading also to an industry carrying an employment cost of 60%. Changing managers and introducing a new management structure simply put is dealing with the symptoms rather that the problem itself.
The leadership of the main union in Guysuco needs to come on board to readily accept drastic changes for its members or sad to say we will all end up without a sugar industry.
Yours faithfully,
R. Singh
Not only that, but a cane cutter work leaves home at 05:00 hts and is back home by 12:00 the latest….
As a private can farmer, I used to leave home at 05:00 hrr and return at 18:00 or later during the crop time. Besides I had to walk at least 10 miles daily to get to my farm.
I know from experience that this is hard work but these day many can cutters only have to cut the cane. they do not have to pick up and fetch it which is the harder part of the job. This is done by machines and referred to as “semi mechanised” harvesting.
This system is good but the people involved in setting it up was incompetent – let me explain:
Let say you used get G$900 per tonne to cut and fetch the cane. Now we all know that cutting is easier. However, when the mechanised system came in place they paid the cane cutters G$600 (i.e 2/3) to cut only. The remaining G$300 (1/3) for mechanised loading has cost the system money as this is not enough for the capital cost, fuel, paying the operators, mechanics etc.
Now the cane cutters only need to 3 tonnes of cane to get the same money for cutting and loading 2 tonnes. As cutting is easier and they are not ambitiious, the quickly cut the 3 tonnes and is home or at the rum shop by 12:00 hrs.
The support base is needed for re-election. Forget about any changes that would impact 2011 results. G.A.W.U. members are supporters of the present government.
Tell me again how anyone will NOT benefit from an alcohol-free -zone in the estates?
Please tell me how alcohol benefits anyone!!!!!
some ppl can only see just past their nose.
The sugar estates has become the feeding camp for the PPP government’s supporters like how the Guyana National Service and THE Peoples Militia were for the PNC government.