Protest outside of President’s office
Today (February 25), operations across the sugar industry have been significantly affected as thousands of sugar workers from Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates as well as the GuySuCo Research Unit have largely stayed away from work to protest an unfair increase in pay being offered by the GuySuCo. Over the last three (3) weeks, the GAWU and the sugar company have been engaged in negotiations regarding improvement in workers’ pay rates which have been frozen since 2015.
While the Union and the Corporation have been able to reach agreement on several matters, the state-owned GuySuCo has been insisting that the improvements be implemented from January 01, this year. The Union and the workers, contend that any increase must be retroactive to January 01, 2019. Our stance takes into account that our discussions have its roots in the Union’s claims for 2019. In such circumstances, agreement reached on any matter ought to be implemented from the beginning of 2019. The Corporation is well aware of this practice yet it continues to disregard same without rhyme or even convincing reason.
In spite of its own admission, the sugar company is seeking, in effect, to depart from the long-standing precedent. It appears to us that the GuySuCo is attempting to impose the pay rise though it has not been fully endorsed by the workers and their unions. The Corporation, during our most recent engagement, intimated to the Union’s delegation that it is desirous of implementing the new rates-of-pay from March 01, incidentally a day before the workers and the families will cast their ballots. Whether that it is coincidental or not, is another question, however, the Corporation did inform us, maybe inadvertently, that as recent as two (2) weeks ago a pay rise was not being considered. It should be recalled around that time workers gathered outside of President David Granger’s office to reiterate their demand for a pay increase which has been denied to them since the Coalition took office.
The insistence of the GuySuCo for the workers to swallow bitterly a pay rise effective at the beginning of this year is really, in our view, a two-card trick. While the Corporation may well believe its approach is novel, the workers have recognised that the company, by its desire, is telling the workers zero increase for 2019. At the same time, it will prevent them from bargaining from any further improvement for 2020 irrespective of changes in the cost-of-living, among other things.
The Corporation has shared said that it is not blunt to the workers cry for a pay rise going back to 2019 and it said it has made this view known to the Government. The sugar company has shared with the Union that it would require some assistance from the Administration to offset that expenditure. We understand that the retroactive payments, based on the current proposal, for last year will be in the vicinity of $400M. That sum, in our view, can be easily afforded by the Government. The retroactive payments would work out to just over $50,000 per worker. That is very much below the touted one-month’s pay public sector workers received as retroactive pay last year.
Recognising the Government’s role to addressing this issue, a number of workers converged outside of the Ministry of the Presidency engaging in a picketing exercise to call on the President and his Government to address meaningfully their call. The workers are seeking that the Administration engages the GuySuCo to positively address their pay rise. They are hopeful that better senses can prevail and the workers can benefit, like their colleagues in the State’s employ, from a fair and acceptable pay rise. The workers shared that they have already indicated their willingness to accept a lower pay rise than they are really entitled to and that they shouldn’t be shortchanged.
The GAWU and the sugar workers, at this time, are looking forward to a fair rise-in-pay. They believe that those in authority should not ignore their principled concerns and valid contentions. Of course, the Administration’s response or silence may well critically influence workers and their families regarding upcoming decisions they are expected to make. All the workers seek at this time is to be treated fairly and equitably. They believe they have taken several steps to bring about an acceptable pay rise agreement, however, they do not believe, at the same time, their difficult times should be exploited to their disadvantage.
