Demerara Gold packaging plant workers on strike for better pay

…facility being run by private contractor

Workers attached to the packaging facility at the Blairmont Sugar Estate, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) which packages Demerara Gold, are on strike for better pay. The workers claimed that they are being paid below the minimum wage.
Sixteen workers at the Demerara Gold Packaging Plant at Blairmont, downed tools on Sunday and continued their strike action on Monday demanding a wage increase.

They told this publication that they are paid at a rate of $330 per hour. The national minimum wage order stipulates a payment of $347 per hour or $2,776 per day. However, the workers claimed that they are receiving $2,640 per day.
Mala Ghidharry said the strike is for a wage increase. “We are being paid below the national minimum wage,” She pointed out.
Another of the employees, Tarniece Blair said she worked at the plant for nine years, left the job and returned in October 2024.
“When I came back it is the same thing. My NIS [National Insurance Scheme] card came out since I started working here in 2012. The last time NIS was paid for me was in 2019.”
The woman showed this publication envelopes she said were pay slips.
“It has no date, no NIS… For one hour we are working for $330. Eight hours come up to $2640. If you work from Sunday to Saturday, you get $21,140 and out of that they take out $1,367 out of your pay and say they are putting it to NIS; no money is in NIS.”
The packaging plant workers are employed by a private contractor, that was hired by GuySuCo to oversee the operations of the packaging plant.
Meanwhile, Ghidharry said that many of the workers do not have NIS cards but deductions are being made from their wages weekly.
“Where is the NIS money going. We need an increase in our pay,” she added.
Those same sentiments were echoed by Rachel Narain, another packaging plant employee.
“We are working for a little bit of money plus the NIS is cutting. I need our money to raise because we can’t keep working for $2,640.”
Recently Government workers were given salary increases of 10 per cent but the packaging plant workers were not given a wage increase. They were also not beneficiaries of the 2023, wage increases.
“There have been several complaints to the management of the private contractor and we are being pushed around,” Ghidharry disclosed to this publication.
Meanwhile, as the workers held out that they would not return to work until the issue is resolved, saying that they were reluctant to strike or take similar actions in the past because of threats by the estate management that they will be fired if they do.
The packaging plant workers are not unionised.
However, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has shown some interest in the workers’ concern.
There are reports that there are some underage boys working in the packaging plant. The female workers said that apart from those who work during a shift, there are boys who assist as porters. At 14:00 on Monday, when this publication sought information on the ages of the male employees at the plant, it was informed that the department head had already left for the day.
“This can’t work. We need a proper pay slip whereby we can see the date and out NIS marked,” Blair added. (G4)