Sugar workers still off the job after massacre protest

The police rank and six sugar workers who suffered pellet wounds following Monday’s fiery protest at Bath Settlement have all been discharged from hospital but harvesters are demanding that charges be dropped against those who were arrested before they resume work.

The protesters who were mainly sugar workers from the Blairmont Estate set two fires and blocked the main thoroughfare near the drainage trench using trailers, old light poles, pieces of wood, bits of iron and part of an old truck in support of relatives of the 11 persons who were gunned down at Lusignan last Saturday.

Police used batons to beat some of the protestors who alleged that the police were too “violent” and vowed, “We are not taking this!” They had planned to take to the streets again yesterday but when this newspaper checked there was normalcy in the area

Some of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) harvesting representatives met with the management of the Blairmont Estate.

The workers have decided against retaliating further but told this newspaper “we would not return to work until the police drop the charges. We don’t have anything against the estate by striking but we know the estate would be affected so we are asking management for support