Dismissed sugar workers turned guards not paid in over 2 months

By Shemuel Fanfair

December 2016 marked the end of employment for the majority of workers when the Wales Estate factory wound down operations. Over 1000 workers were employed with the estate at the time of its closure and some took up work at the Uitvlugt Estate, while others refused to travel over the 22-mile distance for employment.
To date, many former employees are experiencing difficulty finding consistent employment to sustain their families. However, for two fathers who finally gained jobs as security guards at the beginning of 2018 said they can barely make ends meet as they have not been paid in over two months by their employer, Sentinel Security Inc.
Guyana Times recently spoke with the men, who were too afraid to publically come forward out of fear of possible victimisation. They are both fathers – one of which is a grandfather of two.
“They taking too long to pay we and they not keeping any meeting to tell we why them ain’t paying we… it hard,” the younger guard related, noting that he has a 10-year-old who is attending school.
His more mature colleague, the grandfather, expressed that it is not easy for a man to be going home every evening without any income to support his family. The man said he is finding it difficult to afford his electricity and telephone bills. He said too that he now eats one meal during the day.
“You got to find food to carry in the night. When everybody sleeping, you working; it worse than when we went in the sugar industry” he noted.
The men related that several other guards in the West Demerara district enduring non-payment of salaries. Guyana Times understands that Sentinel provides services to many of the schools on the West Bank of Demerara, as well as clinics at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. However, due to non-payment to the company by financial operatives in Region Three (Essequibo-Islands West Demerara), the workers’ plight remains unchanged.
On Wednesday, this publication reached an official from the company, who identified himself as L Adams. He did not deny that the guards were owed but related that the Region Three administration would be in a better position to give insight into the outstanding payments. He however noted that some workers could be paid in the coming days.
When contacted, Region Three Regional Executive Officer (REO) Denis Jaikarran said the region is currently in the process of bringing resolution to the matter. He said that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) discussed the matter at its statutory meeting on Wednesday. He furthermore stated that the region is currently in discussions with the Finance Ministry.
“It is not a shortage of money but there were some difficulties and challenges we faced in terms of the releases… that matter is going to be resolved in quick time,” Jaikarran assured.
He claimed that the RDC has been engaging the Ministry over the last three weeks. Guyana Times learnt that the RDC has already forwarded the requisite documents to the Finance Ministry and is scheduled to meeting with officials to sort out the matter sometime today.