The GAWU has seen a January 22, Demerara Waves report which points out that President David Granger at the opening ceremony of the new Diamond-Grove Magistrates Court spoke about the closure of Diamond Estate. Our Union subsequently obtained a copy of Mr Granger address and we saw the President saying, among other things, that “Diamond estate… was closed in 2010.”
It appears, Mr Granger was misinformed on the matter. The Diamond Estate factory, as GAWU has pointed out on several occasions, was closed at the end of 1987 first crop. This was confirmed also by Mr Earl John in a letter which appeared in January 14, Stabroek News. As the Union pointed out that closure of the factory saw a large section of the estate cultivation being retired, including the very area where the Diamond/Grove community now exists.
A small section of the Diamond Estate did remain operable until around 2010 when it was closed. However, contrary to Mr Granger’s figure it was approximately 350 workers and not 500 who were made redundant. While our Union did seek judicial intervention regarding their redundancy pay, the matter never came up for hearing as the GuySuCo respected the workers rights and settled their obligations. This, of course, is a 180 degree from what transpired during Mr Granger’s stint as Head of State where the Courts not only heard but ruled in the workers favour on the matter of severance. The workers, however, suffered as they had to wait nearly a year for their payments or in the case of the Wales cane cutters nearly two (2) years before justice were served.
We feel constrained to add too that the Diamond workers, who were desirous of continuing to work in the sugar industry, were offered employment at the nearby Wales Estate. Some of them remained there until that estate was closed by the Granger Government in 2016.
We hope that, in the future, Mr Granger whenever he chooses to speak about Diamond Estate would reflect accurately what really transpired.
