The Demerara Area Conference of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) concluded on (Saturday) June 23, 2018 with delegates expressing deep anxieties about the future. The Conference noted that the future does not appear to be bright notwithstanding the grandeur-like promises by the Administration’s spokespersons that conditions will be greatly improved in the country with the commercial production of oil. Delegates pointed to the massive loss of jobs in the sugar industry and elsewhere where thousands of persons, in the last few years, joined the ranks of the unemployed. The contracting economic situation did not give delegates great hope that brighter days are ahead as concerns were expressed of the massive declines in the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves as well as the substantial borrowing by Administration.
The Conference in reviewing the work of the Union since our last Congress, received the Report of the General Council which was presented by our General Secretary, Seepaul Narine. Several matters of concern were considered as the international, local and workplace levels. At the international level, delegates also expressed their apprehensions about the possibility of a new world war and were upset to note the heightening global inequality, increasing impoverishment, and the swelling of the global army of the unemployed. Locally, delegates reflected on the slowing-down of the economy, the rising cost-of-living and increased unemployment as well. Delegates were also peeved regarding the arrangements of our new-found oil resources and were concerned that other industries were being ignored in favour of oil, which they felt wasn’t the wisest of approaches.
On the sugar industry, delegates were particularly upset that thousands of sugar workers have been made jobless, in recent times, without any plans to address their well-being and welfare. The Conference noted that the closure of estates was not going in the right direction especially when one considers that there are real possibilities for the sugar industry to be turned around and put on a sustainable path. The situation in the sugar industry which is characterized by confusion, indecision, and a lack of leadership also did not escape attention. Delegates felt that such a sad state-of-affairs was not helpful to the industry’s cause and more so the thousands of sugar workers. Critical views were also expressed regarding the disrespect and disregard of labour laws, international conventions and long-standing practices by the GuySuCo and the Government of Guyana.
The Conference also expressed its fully solidarity with the workers of BEV Processors Inc which will close its doors in a few days’ time. Delegates were heartened to learn that the Company was seeking to secure jobs for the soon-to-be jobless workers but also expressed their concern that jobs are hard to come by in contemporary times. The attitude of the foreign-owned Demerara Timbers Limited to the workers and the Union were also criticized. Similarly, the imposition of pay rises in the public sector was also denounced as the Conference noted that the Coalition committed itself to respect the institution of Collective Bargaining.
The Conference also passed, unanimously, resolutions on the situation in the sugar industry; on the cost-of-living; calling on Government to pay redundancy pay to retrenched sugar workers without further delay; in solidarity with the jobless sugar workers; calling for the restoration of Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector; and calling for the Demerara Timbers to engage the GAWU in Collective Bargaining.
The Conference was held under the theme “Protecting workers rights and benefits in a challenging period” at the Uitvlugt Community Centre. Some 80 delegates drawn from among the Union’s members of Uitvlugt Estates, BEV Processors Inc, Noble House Seafoods Limited, Demerara Distillers Limited, Demerara Habour Bridge Corporation, Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee, Guyana Forestry Commission, Demerara Timbers Limited, and Caricom Rice Mills Limited. The convening of the Area Conference is a requirement of the Union’s Constitution which mandates the organizing of two (2) Conferences between the Union’s Congresses. Our last Congress – the 21st – was held in August, 2016.
