-GuySuCo laments ongoing impact
More than 800 sugar workers remained off the job yesterday as the Guyana Agricul-tural and General Workers Union (GAWU) awaits the continuation of discussions with the sugar corporation over an increase in wages and salaries.
GAWU’s President, Komal Chand told Stabroek News yesterday that some 280 sugar workers at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) estate and 600 workers at the Rose Hall estate have remained off the job. He said that the union continues to support the workers’ call for an increase in wages and salaries, adding that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is yet to contact the union to further discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, GuySuCo, in a release yesterday, stated that its operations continue to be affected by the prolonged strike action of harvesters attached to the two estates in question. The corporation stated that, “even more disappointing is that workers would have gained an extra day’s pay at Rose Hall for achieving their weekly production target last week as part of an increase in production industry wide”.
GuySuCo maintains that any reasonable offer for wages and salaries increases for 2010 must be contingent on the industry at least achieving the revised target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar.
The entity encouraged workers to “understand the reality of the current situation facing the industry dictates that all stakeholders have to play their part to turn the fortunes of the sugar industry around”.
GuySuCo had expressed disappointment at the strike saying in a statement that the union has indicated that the strike action is aimed at applying pressure on the corporation into making an across-the-board wages and salaries increase for 2010. However, the corporation said, any offer for an increase this year must be contingent on the industry at least achieving the revised target of 264,000 tonnes of sugar.
GuySuCo stated this week that the body is willing to have the unions audit its financial statements to verify that its financial position supports its stance that it cannot meet the unions’ demands. The corporation noted that the sugar workers have played a major part in assisting the corporation through the difficult period experienced and it appealed to them to continue to support the industry as they can only benefit from its turnaround.
