The GAWU has learnt from concerned workers of Uitvlugt Estate that tonnes of harvested canes are left in the field to deteriorate rather than taken to the factory for processing into sugar. The situation is occurring in fields where the canes are loaded by mechanical cane loaders more popularly known as Bell Loaders. According to the information we received, piles of canes which should be heaped into bundles for the loader to load into punt are just being left to rot in the fields. When canes are harvested for mechanical loading, workers would cut and heap the canes in order for the machine to grab and load into the punts. As the loading of the heaps continue it reaches a point whereby the machine could no longer grab the dwindling heap at least without destroying the fields and sending muddy canes to the factory which presents its own problems.
To circumvent this issue, the industry has employed a process of scrapping whereby a group of workers would work alongside the cane loaders, to gather smaller sized heaps into larger ones for the canes to be loaded by the machine. However at Uitvlugt Estate, for some weeks now, strangely, the scrapping of canes has been discontinued. As a result of this unusual decision, tonnes of canes are harvested but not processed into sugar. From the pictures we have attached, it clearly depicts the large quantities of canes being left in the fields. The workers have shared with us they estimate that approximately 20 tonnes of canes are being left in the fields in where canes are loaded by machines. Hundreds of fields are today benefitting from machine loaded canes which operation lends to higher level of productivity and efficiency. However, what is now taking place, in effect, means that the estate, by such actions at Uitvlugt, are costing the sugar industry much in monetary terms, at a time, when every cent is needed. If such a practice goes on elsewhere, in all likelihood, millions will go down the drain.
What is even worse is that workers had drawn this practice to the attention of the Management without any effect it appears. Unbelievably, one manager is said to have told the workers they should not be bothered about that. If this is true, it is a most incredulous statement coming from a senior official of the estate. The literal abandonment of fully matured harvested canes in the fields is worrying considering that the Corporation would have utilized its scarce resources to nurture the canes to maturity; to pay workers to harvest them then only to leave them to be disintegrated without any economic return whatsoever. Even cake shops, in our view, are better run.
The GAWU understands one possible reason for the large quantities of canes being left behind relates to a shortage of punts. It is disconcerting that punts are needed when the NICIL-SPU has hundreds of punts deteriorating by the day at the estates under its control. Even the monies which could be used to construct more punts are locked away by NICIL-SPU though interest is accruing to the investors which the GuySuCo is starved. On this matter, President David Granger had said since June that he would address the release of the monies. It appears that the President’s intervention, if it did occur, has not led to any resolution. In the meantime, the workers are shortchanged as they are told the sugar company cannot afford a pay rise to them while inefficient and ineffective leadership is costing large sums to the industry and more so the workers.
