The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is pleased to see renewed emphasis being place by the Government with respect to the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). At the GuySuCo, we speak on behalf of the field and factory workers as well as the junior supervisory staffers whilst at the GFC we represent the entire workforce up to the level of supervisor.
At the GuySuCo, the release of $600M to the state-owned Corporation and the assurance that workers’ wages and salaries will be assured for the remainder of 2020 brings some comfort. On many occasions, workers’ wages and salaries were delayed, at times, for many days as the GuySuCo simply could not meet the payments. Of course for the workers this was most detrimental as many lived week to week and depended very much on the timely payment of wages. We are hopeful that the workers can put behind this sordid situation as sustained efforts are being made to revitalize the sugar industry. Already, our Union has communicated in writing several concerns we have to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and he has committed to engaging the GAWU at soonest.
Regarding the GFC, the once able Commission has slipped greatly over the last five (5) years. Delays in payment of salary became the norm rather than the exception. Our Union consistently championed this matter at the level of the Management and Board of the Commission. At a meeting in August, last year with then Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman the GAWU reiterated its position and despite commitments to alleviate the troubles which had beset the GFC nothing was apparently done. We were most pleased that the 2018 bonus negotiated between the Union and the Commission will be finally settled though long overdue. The GAWU during an engagement with the new Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat on August 20, 2020 raised our several concerns with regards to the GFC. The Minister has promised to address the issues discussed with a view to bringing about a favourable resolution.
The GAWU looks forward to engaging the authorities in healthy discussions are steadfast efforts are required to breathe new life into these two (2) important state bodies. GAWU’s General Secretary in a comment expressed pleasure that there appears to be a proactive attitude to addressing the plight of the workers at the GuySuCo and the GFC. He said he is heartened by these developments and looks forward to the workers and the Union closing the dark chapters which have stymied the progress of both the GuySuCo and Forestry Commission.
