Former sugar workers turned guards still waiting on salaries

After months of non-payment

Though the Labour Department had launched an investigation following reports of non-payment, some former Wales sugar workers who garnered employment with the Sentinel Security Inc are opting to discontinue working with the security service. This comes against the backdrop of repeated reports that the company was slow to pay salaries. Guyana Times has learnt that many workers were finally paid their July wages but salaries for August and September for several workers are reportedly outstanding.
“Them only pay me for July. Them owe for me for August and September so I decided to leave them about last week time,” one former worker who preferred to remain anonymous revealed.
The former male guard recently told this publication that he was only able to leave the guard service because he secured work in the trade of welding which was his specialty when he was an employee of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) at Wales Estate. A female guard, who claimed that she was being targeted also, spoke on the condition of anonymity. She indicated on Saturday that the company has been “laying off” some of its workers in recent weeks.
When Guyana Times reported on the Labour Department’s probe, it was stated that some guards on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) were starting to receive salaries. Many of their colleagues on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) have expressed they are struggling to provide for themselves and families. Another sugar worker turned guard had explained that his lack of earnings meant that he could not have afforded his $5000 water bill. He had claimed earlier this month that his service was disconnected.
Sentinel Security Inc provides security services to many schools and medical facilities in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). When this newspaper first contacted the company several weeks ago, it said it was owed by the region.
The district’s Regional Executive Officer (REO), Denis Jaikarran, gave assurances in late August that the payments would have been effected in a short time. Guyana Times attempted to contact Jaikarran for an update on the matter on Saturday but this proved futile.
He had in fact said previously that the delay was not due to not a shortage of money, but that there were some difficulties and challenges to secure releases. However, that was just over one month and many of the guards who remain on the job without salaries are dependent on their families to sustain them.