Following an order of the High Court on December 05, those 350 cane cutters of the closed Wales Estate would have received their severance payments by the end of today(December 12, 2018). As the media reported, the workers who never worked at Uitvlugt will be severed effect from December 31, 2016 and will benefit from 4 per cent interest per annum up to the time of judgment. Those who would have taken up work at Uitvlugt will also benefit from severance funds.
As some sections of the media also reported, last Friday (December 07), payments regarding 238 workers who would have never worked at Uitvlugt commenced. GuySuCo begun today (December 12, 2018) to distribute payments to the 109 workers who took up work at Uitvlugt Estate some full time and some others who dropped out as well. The workers who were deprived of their severance for two (2) years are most delighted in finally being paid and it apt to recall the long, time-consuming and unnecessary struggle for them to have their rights respected bearing in mind that the Government and GuySuCo strongly contended that work was offered to them at Uitvlugt hence the denial of their lawful payments. Many workers expressed their appreciation to GAWU for the Union’s efforts, including the legal challenge, on their behalf.
While workers at Wales Estate, closed nearly two (2) years ago, were being paid,GuySuCo, at the same time, is in the process of informing workers it retained at Skeldon, Rose Hall, East Demerara and Wales Estates that they would be terminated by year-end or sometime early next year. These workers who were involved mainly in security, drainage and irrigation and power house operations were retained to maintain skeleton operations of the now closed estates. The Corporation indicated that it was always its intention to have the workers terminated and it is now giving effect to its intent. GuySuCo has assured GAWU that it has monies to pay these workers their severance payments as it becomes due. It is indeed saddening that more workers have had to lose their jobs occasioned by the short-sighted and wrong haphazard decision to minimize the sugar industry.
