Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:25 AM
Nov 09, 2009 News
Sugar workers returned to work on Friday, ending a one week strike over the non-settlement of their wage dispute with the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo).
This is according to General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine.
Narine said that GAWU has taken note that GuySuCo has to extend the crop by two weeks and possible rains might force lower production estimates for next year.
Initially, it was estimated that GuySuCo would have produced 320,000 of sugar next year, but a new estimate indicated a production of 280,000 tonnes.
In this regard, Narine questioned GuySuCo on what factors have caused the estimate to be slashed from 320,000 tonnes to 280,000 tonnes.
Regarding the extension of the current crop by two weeks, Narine stated that this is not an unusual exercise, as the crop weeks had been extended before the commencement of the just concluded seven days strike.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary admitted that indeed the industry is in a dire financial situation because the industry’s yearly sugar production is dwindling.
“Two decades ago, the industry had been producing less than 200,000 tonnes sugar and was facing a major challenge to its survival. Now the industry’s production is just above 200,000 and hence the current catastrophe of the industry. Production, production, production is GuySuCo’s conundrum,” Narine stated.
He explained that since the strike ended on November 5th, the 3,600 tonnes of cane that were unprocessed as at November 02, was harvested as at November 06, and processed into sugar except for a small quantity that would have yielded an additional 100 tonnes of sugar.
While the Meteorological Office advised that the weather would remain dry for the year with sporadic showers, Narine noted that at the end of the crop, GuySuCo ought to give an account of the canes, if any that remain unharvested.
“Then we shall know exactly what quantity of harvestable canes was in the field this year,” Narine noted.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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