Following Thursday’s deadlock in the conciliation proceedings between GuySuCo and GAWU both entities are now awaiting the start of the arbitration process, even as a significant number of employees represented by the union yesterday downed their tools as part of a national strike.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) yesterday reported that 65.6 percent of Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) workers were on strike. The only estate which did not participate in the strike yesterday was the Wales Sugar Estate, the Corporation noted.
According to the Corporation’s Communications Officer Romel Roopnarine yesterday’s strike action by GAWU workers was a direct contravention of the labour agreement which states that when arbitration is imposed, workers are not supposed to strike. He said the action taken by GAWU was not in the best interest of the sugar industry, especially since the sugar company has been struggling to maintain its financial viability in recent times. He also said that were the strike action to continue for an extended period, the company may have to re-examine its yearly production target.
On Thursday, Chief Labour Officer Yoganand Persaud declared the conciliatory discussions between the two bodies at a deadlock. At this meeting, GuySuCo withdrew its initial offer to GAWU of a 3 percent increase in wages and salaries for the year, saying that it was prepared to go to arbitration.
However, according to GAWU when these developments were communicated to the factory workers at Rose Hall Estate, they immediately walked off the job thereby forcing the factory to cease operation. However, GuySuCo , in a press statement ,accused the union of taking the talks out of context.
Later that evening, Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir imposed compulsory arbitration in the wage dispute.
When contacted last evening, Nadir said that the members of the arbitration panel are still to be appointed and that hopefully this will be done early next week, after which the arbitration process can begin. He too acknowledged that the strike action by the workers was not in keeping with the arbitration process.
Meanwhile, General Secretary of GAWU, Seepaul Narine said that the union has communicated its interest to GuySuCo in being part of the arbitration process and is now awaiting directions from the Labour Ministry. He disclosed that the strike action was something largely instigated by the sugar workers themselves who felt that the move by GuySuCo to withdraw its 3 percent offer was in bad taste. He said that the union felt that it was necessary to strike at this time.
When asked about the non-participation of the Wales sugar workers, Narine said he was not sure exactly why these workers were not participating but said that maybe they had not gotten the message about the industrial action. He also said that so far it is not clear how long the strike will go on for but he explained that this will be discussed at a meeting scheduled for today.
On Tuesday, GAWU said it was asking for a 10% increase for its workers after it was asked to reconsider its initial request of 15 percent. Last week, the union had turned down a 3% offer by the sugar corporation.
Three Tuesdays ago, GuySuCo pulled out of wage negotiations with GAWU after strike action by workers on the La Bonne Intention (LBI) estate. The sugar company stated that it would not negotiate under duress.
Following the corporation’s action, GAWU called its workers out on a two-day national strike over what it deemed to be GuySuCo’s high-handed approach in the ongoing wage dispute. The workers on the LBI estate, however, continued their strike over the failure of the corporation to set a production target for the workers for last week and explained that this would have prevented them from achieving the weekly production incentive (WPI).
Meanwhile, the National Association of Agricultural Commercial & Industrial Employees (NAACIE) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) have come out in support of GAWU and the position it has taken. GAWU is the largest affiliate of FITUG.
NAACIE, which also represents workers in the sugar industry, has come out in support of GAWU as they struggle “for decent living wages.” In a press release, General Secretary of NAACIE Kenneth Joseph said that the current strike “appears to be the fight for decent living wages in what GuySuCo, itself, calls arduous work in an industry that is bigger than workers and their Union.”
“NAACIE while supporting the GAWU’s position that the Corporation can do better is also surprised at the position of the Corporation to withdraw the 3% offer made after encouraging the Union to move from its original reasonable demand to attempt to cause an agreement”, Joseph said.
Joseph further noted that “workers of GuySuCo sacrificed earnings to cause the Skeldon project to be a reality and to attempt to contribute to a sustainable GuySuCo.” He added that “this should be recognised by the Corporation, because, as reported, sugar is bigger than the workers. It is also bigger than Managers and owners.”
While NAACIE workers did not join in the strike action yesterday, Joseph told this newspaper yesterday that the union was monitoring the situation carefully and that strike action by NAACIE workers was a possibility.
FITUG, the umbrella organization responsible for representing most of Guyana’s registered workers, stated that it was cautious about joining any debate between GAWU and its members’ employer, GuySuCo, in the interest of a peaceful, constructive, fair and just arbitration process.
However, the union said that “in the context of the general question of workers’ conditions and wages, FITUG would urge both the GuySuCo and the government spokesperson to be more restrained and sensitive when referring to the nation’s workers and their respective roles on vital industries and even crucial government agencies.” “For example, to mention that “sugar is more than…. and bigger than the sugar workers,” whilst partially with some merit, is tantamount to a dismissal of the role in this nation’s economic survival being played by thousands of sugar-sector, working-class employees”, the release stated.
On the issue of wage and salary increases, FITUG said “that other workers were recently afforded a $4,000.00 across the board monthly allowance … as a ten per cent increase on their salaries.” The release stated that “that those workers deserved those considerations just as GAWU’s members deserve fair and just increase in the face of challenging economic realities. In 2007, those workers also enjoyed a nine (9) per cent increase.”
FITUG said that it believed in the sincerity of GAWU in this matter even as it realizes that the timing was inopportune. “Fully cognizant of the fact that increased industrial action is not desirable at this sensitive stage of our country’s economic development, FITUG, nevertheless, assures GAWU of its active co-operation as this specific matter continues” the release said.
why is it the sugar workers listening to these rich union heads and go on strike causing there family’s to suffer the hard ship…….i know there conditions are bad but they can work while talks goes on…strike only cause suffering to there family’s and the country as a hold…it is better to have a dollar in you pocket than to have none..what about if guysuco decide to close down will the union give them any thing no…remember the holiday’s coming up and family’s need to have a nice time….i am not saying work under bad conditions…all i am saying the unions don’t suffer you as the workers who suffer as the union find all type of silly things to find fault and complain as ask the workers to strike so they seems as the big horses championing the workers cause….happy jumbie day to all.
I would support the Trade unions. Get ready to start back the importation of sugar again. No more cane root kickney.
Correction. GAWU behaviour is ridiculous. Where are the sane trade union voices to knock some sense in Komal head. The sugar workers throwing tantrums and behaving like spoil brats. They know Guysuco cannot afford to pay. Like bad indulgent parents the PPP will quiet their ‘Dennis the menace’ by giving them what they want. I’d stay the PPP is getting its just dessert and people should just sit back and watch them implode. But the ones suffering are the tax payers who have to belly up to pay the overwhelming sugar debts while their sector of employment and the country fall apart. Its sickening how politics and political ignorance is destroying Guyana.
The workers shall suffer low wages because sugar is not very valuable in global markets. Then there is the price erosion owing to EPA. However, the root of the sufferings of the masses rests with the PPP and the Jagdeo Administration. It was well known (by the early 1990s) that WTO rules would come into conflict with Lome and the sugar deal with Europe and the preferential prices are no longer sacred. They never planned alternative avenues that could today place the industry in better position.
The current CEO was given a bad hand and I feel terrible for him. His job is to secure an accounting profit for Guysuco. But accounting profits do not factor in the economic alternatives with potentially higher returns. It’s not Mr. Hannoman’s job to make those decisions in the realm of alternatives. That’s the PPP and the givernment, which have failed the masses.
That said the workers should return to work and save the industry. A little income (which shall keep them in penury) is still better than none.
Grin and bear it. In 2006 you stupidly put your “X” besides the cup while many other Guyanese voted for some change. Like sheep you continue to be easily led. Keep bleating. Eventually you’ll start braying.
Guysuco only recently lost its long-held European Union preferential market. Current demand for sugar in the world market is strong in the face of EU output cutback and production shortfall in India. According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association, “World production is now expected to be 4.274 mln tonnes lower than world consumption as against 3.626 mln tonnes projected in November.” So, there is currently a strong demand for sugar in the international market. Guyanese sugar workers should be busy producing more to meet that demand. This is not the time to strike. This is the time for GAWU to look at the big picture.
gawu don’t have to look at anything. they are doing the right thing. keep the pressure on gawu sugar workers have families too.
They should check on the managers salaries ( over $200,000.00 per month)
The junior staff work for less $250.00 per day, which cannot pay their bus fare to go to work.
It cannot even pay the grocery or even sweets for the children as what the late pressy said will happen
Y’assuman,
The big picture is that Guysuco ill-positioned to take advantange of the current world market prices.
Guysuco has NOT lost its preferential market in the EU. The PRICE paid in that market has been significantly reduced. Given that Guysuco’s strategic plan called for them to be producing about 4-500000 tonnes per annum @ around 11c/lb and they consistently struggle to produce 1/2 this amount (at almost twice the price), the only way to meet that “world market demand” is to sacrifice the preferential markets.
The “world market” for sugar is a RESIDUAL market where the usual state of affairs is that excess production is dumped for whatever price is obtained. The CURRENT demand as you state is strong. What will it be next year? or the year after? On August 16 of this year, I quoted the Executive Director of the International Sugar Organisation the 84 member states of which account for 82% of world sugar production and 66% of world consumption.
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The world sugar market will probably return to balance in the year ending September 2011 because of a rebound in production in India and other importing countries,
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When the price drops out of the world market (and it will someday) will Guysuco run back to the EU like we did with our caricom neighbors when the OCT route for rice collapsed in the mid-late nineties?
GAWU should be fighting the government to diversify the economy to help create better and more secured jobs for its members in an “economy of the future”. Stop fooling the sugar workers – sugar can only give us so much and for so long.
Are we waiting to wake up one morning to find that the industry has collapsed and thousands of people are suddenly thrown on the bread line?
Diversify….. and also start producing ethanol like Brazil…..and begin the conversion to flex fuel uses.
The chickens are coming home to roost. It is widely believed and accepted that the PPP encouraged sugar workers to burn canefields during the Burnham era. The obvious intent was to destabilize the economy. Now that the PPP is in office, the sugar workers are attempting to destabilize the economy.
Hey, you reap what you sow.
Anyway, I urge the sugar workers to return to work for the good of themselves and of our nation.
The Unions have a right to strike. However, they should also understand that the losses in the fields will affect the short term viability of the industry. At the same time it appears that the management of the corporation may be playing hardball with these hardworking people.
Any sugar company in the Caribbean that survives beyond 2013 will be extremely profitable.
strike its time people make a real living u work hard for nothing the new order is to strike ppp encourage that to the pnc how u like it now