GAWU warns of ‘sweetheart’ deal for Skeldon Factory

… says maybe there is more in the mortar than the pestle

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) says it has been kept in the dark with regard the purported sale of the US$200 million modern Skeldon Sugar Factory and has in fact warned of a possible untoward deal at a giveaway price to a preferred buyer.

The Union sounded the alarm on Tuesday saying based on information available to it, “the ground is being fertilised to make a case for the sale of Skeldon at, quite possibly, a giveaway price and the workers and the public are not being adequately informed by the Chief Executive Officer, Errol Hanoman and/or the relevant Government official(s).”
GAWU has since publicly voiced its objection to such a move. According to the Union, it “does not support the divestment of the Skeldon Factory and its rich and arable land – a part of our patrimony. Indeed, such an approach, we believe, most entail knowledgeable and responsible evaluators, consultations with the workers and their unions and, indeed, discussions involving the relevant agencies of the country.”
According to the Union representing sugar workers, “We see the move place the Skeldon factory on the chopping block will have negative repercussions for the industry and the country as a whole.”
It has since surmised that for the workers, the communities, the cane farmers and others who are directly and indirectly linked to Skeldon Estate, such a decision would certainly place their employment and welfare grave risk.
“At this time, we emphasise our strong disagreement with the position mooted and strongly urge the Government and GuySuCo to desist from such a course and instead to heed the credible and sincere views of the many Guyanese who have grave difficulties to support the selling out of the Estate.”
GAWU on Tuesday suggested that sugar workers and, no doubt, an alert public must have been taken aback and surprised to learn, from media reports, that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Government are preparing the ground for the imminent sale of Skeldon Estate.
“The pattern we have been witnessing over the last year or so regarding the sugar industry is clearly continuing… The authorities seem bent on doing things and considering measures that are certainly not suitable for the well-being of the industry, the workers and the country. Alternative and worthy proposals and ideas expressed by the Sugar Commission of Inquiry (CoI), trade unions, and other credible voices are simply shunned.”
The Union observed from news reports that the Corporation’s Board is advancing the sale, among other, “options” in addressing the sugar industry’s future.
GAWU said it wishes to point out that its representative on the Board is not aware of such a proposal being raised in at recent meetings, “neither has he been requested to express his view on these options… Apparently, the Board’s name is being used to illustrate that consultation is taking place and a democratic procedure is followed.”
GAWU said the move also raises the question whether other Board members are aware of what is being proposed in their name saying “most certainly, the workers of Skeldon and their Unions are left in the dark.”

GAWU also used the opportunity to decry purported moves made by the Corporation to engage the Wärtsilä group purportedly in relation to the factory’s cogeneration plant.
According to the GAWU missive, “it is bewildering as to why GuySuCo would engage Wärtsilä especially since its known area is power generation and we are unaware of any track record of its credible knowledge with respect to sugar factories and thus its conclusion are open to be questioned.”
The Union observed too that the public is now being told that as much as $12 billion is required to bring the estate up to speed and suggested “clearly this is an astronomically overstated sum… It would be interesting to learn of the breakdown of this big sum.”
Responding to media reports that the GuySuCo Board has already begun talks with prospective buyers, GAWU sought to query, “Is it a case that there are buyers or just a buyer.”
The Union contends that “it is also puzzling that the Skeldon factory now described as a ticking time bomb and requiring an astounding sum to be put right, yet is attracting interested purchaser/s so eager to talk… Maybe there is more in the mortar than the pestle.”
The Union believes that transparency is certainly lacking even in this case involving the newest and costliest sugar factory.