As the sun set on 2021, the GAWU’s attention was drawn to the message by Mr Patrick Yarde, President/CEO of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). In his message, Mr Yarde described State support to the sugar sector as “haphazard” contending they have not brought any returns to the Guyanese people. Maybe Mr Yarde has forgotten that tens of thousands of Guyanese depend on the sugar industry for their well-being. Is it that the goodly gentleman is saying that any right-thinking Government should allow these Guyanese to live in poverty and destitution? We do not think Mr Yarde had such intentions as in his message he charged that “[w]orkers in Guyana… deserve to have the ability to sustain themselves and families…”. Shouldn’t sugar workers and their families and those who depend on the industry not have similar goals, Mr Yarde? Or is it he says they should be condemned to “…living in poverty like leaches and mendicants…”?
Mr Yarde, in his tirade against the sugar industry, speaks to profitability in the sector. Again, the gentleman makes the cardinal error of ignoring economic versus financial profitability. While indeed the sugar industry has been challenged to realize financial profitability, from an economic point of view it continues to record positive contributions. The recent ILO socio-economic study following the closure of sugar estates had starkly outlined the social and economic vacuum created by the closure. Certainly, any right-thinking individual should be able to discern the difference and reach rational conclusions. Of course, this situation is not unique to Guyana and as Mr Yarde may know, given reported his regular visits, even the great USA provides massive support to its agricultural sector given its wider economic importance.
The GPSU leader, in his message, also exposes his ignorance of the sector as he speaks about production costs vis-à-vis world market prices. Had he been paying attention he would have been aware that GuySuCo is seeking to reorient itself by producing greater value-added sugar which attract better prices. Mr Yarde would have also recognised GuySuCo recently informing that in spite of poor production it managed to reduce its losses. Clearly, the investments Mr Yarde bemoans is beginning to pay dividends. Additionally, they are several other viable income streams which the industry could pursue.
Finally, Mr Yarde in concluding his castigation of the sugar industry alleges that Government support is linked to political considerations. To the best of our knowledge, the sugar industry comprises workers who probably support every political organization in Guyana. However, Mr Yarde parrots a statement that has been wildly made by other political personalities in a seeming attempt to stoke divisiveness in our country. As a long-standing trade unionist, we find such statements from the gentleman as highly irresponsible and deeply disturbing. At the end of the day, we are all Guyanese, and we should be our brothers and sisters keeper seeking to build one another rather than tearing down with harmful rhetoric and uninformed statements. We recognise that an important element to our nation’s success requires collaboration to ensure that all our boats rise simultaneously. To seek to advocate practices that spur inequity will not ensure a better Guyana for today and tomorrow.
