The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) was pleased to learn recently that the Government has taken a decision to delay the closure of East Demerara and Rose Hall Estates until sometime in 2018. For the thousands who stood to be confronted by a life filled with uncertainty and misery following closure, the news must have been encouraging and relieving to some extent.
The decision, the GAWU notes from the media, was taken after it was determined that systems were yet to be put in place to address the well-being of the workers who stood to be affected. The admission confirmed what our Union and the workers have been saying for many months. Nevertheless, we are heartened that the Government in recognizing this reality, even at this eleventh hour, has decided to postpone the closures.
Our Union, during a meeting on November 14, 2017 with representatives of the Special Purpose Unit (SPU), learnt that the closure-slated estates would be taken over by the SPU. The Unit, in its interactions with GAWU, opined that there ought to be no haste to close the estates and pointed out that with a different approach the estates could be made viable and in that process protect the large number of Guyanese who depend on their operation. As the SPU seeks to pursue this course of action, the GAWU cannot fail to point out the strong need for the estate’s assets to remain intact. This we contend is an important facet in lending and leading to success.
At this time, the GAWU sees the decision to postpone the closure as a first step in the right direction to safeguard and consolidate the sugar industry. We recognize that the Union’s and the workers sustained efforts to highlight and to call to attention the severe difficulties that would arise from estate closure was not lost on the Administration. We believe, it played a role in lending to the postponement.
While heartened by the recent news, the GAWU notes that we are not yet out of the woods. The difficulties occasioned and will be occasioned by closure have not yet disappeared but merely kicked down the road. We strongly contend that closure is not in our nation’s interest. We remain hopeful that the Administration, in keeping with its stated effort to protect the workers, will decide to permanently postpone the closure of the estates and allow Skeldon Estate with its high earning co-generation facility not to fall into private hands.
