GuySuCo wants salary negotiations delayed amidst budget debate – union says

Dec 07, 2016 News

The country’s largest sugar workers’ union has accused the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) of continuing to frustrate current negotiations for salary and wages increase.

GAWU has accused GuySuCo of deliberately delaying negotiations for salary and wage increases for sugar workers.

According to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) yesterday, the Ministry of Social Protection has engaged the corporation and the union in two conciliatory proceedings on November 23 and 29, 2016 with respect to sugar workers’ claim for a wage/salary increase of eight per cent this year.
A third conciliatory meeting is to be fixed by the Ministry to continue the conciliatory proceedings.
“To the union’s surprise and, certainly, the workers’ dismay, GuySuCo by letter of December 5, 2016, wrote inter alia:- “We also wish to bring to your attention that [the] Parliamentary debate on the 2017 National Budget will commence on Monday December 5, 2016, which will be addressing some aspect relating to the sugar industry. We therefore, humbly request that our current conciliation on wages/salaries and fringe benefits be put on hold during these engagements at the Parliament,” GAWU said in a statement yesterday.
GAWU said that it is of the view that the current Parliamentary debate and discussion on the Budget speech and the approval of the estimates cannot be used as a pretext to what, effectively, is an attempt to delay or avert the legitimate workers’ claim.
“Certainly this is yet another effort by the corporation to frustrate the Ministry’s conciliatory service. GAWU calls on the Ministry not to be cowed and allow GuySuCo to succeed in pushing workers’ claims to the backburner, especially in light that the workers were denied wage increases in 2015.”
GAWU called on the Ministry to fix urgently another meeting without delay in order for the discussions to be concluded and indeed for them to reserve their deserving pay award.
GuySuCo is facing tough times, with production plunging and the State-owned corporation owing more than $80B to creditors. Government has been forced to plug billions of dollars annually to keep the sugar industry afloat.
Government has announced plans to close Wales Estate and diversify some of its operations to rice and sale of lands to raise cash.