Several former sugar workers believe that the four shuttered estates should be reopened so that they will be able to make a living after they were all left unemployed following the closures.
About 16 persons, including former sugar workers and their wives, from Wales, Skeldon, Rose Hall and East Demerara, yesterday went to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) office on High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, to voice their frustration and concerns. They said that life after the closure of the said estates is currently a struggle.
A statement from GAWU, which was read at the union’s office yesterday, labeled life after the estates’ closure as “a nightmarish experience.” The statement, which was issued on behalf of the workers, said that their lives were turned upside down following the closure of the Wales, Skeldon and Rose Hall Estates in 2016 and the East Demerara estate in 2017. It stated that while the workers observed that it was mentioned in the media that persons have gotten new jobs, that is not the case as only a few persons found employment. “The painful truth is what they are saying is far from the truth. While some of our colleagues have gotten jobs, it’s a drop in the ocean. Many work day-to-day not knowing when today ends whether a job is there tomorrow,” the statement said.
