GAWU agrees to end strike

Stephen Daniels

Following days of tense negotiations the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) have finally decided on the terms of resumption that will see sugar workers back at work after a five-day strike.

During a meeting yesterday at the Labour Ministry, GAWU and GuySuCo agreed that workers must be back on the job by today and the dismissal of Stephen Daniels from the Skeldon Estate be amended to a suspension pending a full investigation.

“This agreement to withdraw the dismissal letter is not as much as we wanted but this has set the stage for it to be resolved,” GAWU President Komal Chand told Stabroek News.

He expressed frustration that Daniels’ suspension would be without pay but did say the union was pleased that the terms agreed that the worker’s dismissal could not be executed without further investigation.

A GuySuCo statement on the resumption said the agreement provides for no victimisation by both sides and that the days on which the workers were striking will be regarded as not available for qualification purposes.

Stabroek News was told that GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer Raj Singh was part of the meeting yesterday but left prior