The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is calling for resources injected into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GAWU) to be tangibly used towards increased production and productivity.
This statement comes amid recent expressions made by Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sasenarine Singh. According to GAWU, it wants to see the sugar industry succeed and play an even more meaningful role in Guyana, adding that “such efforts of course require an all-hands-on deck approach. To seek to alienate those who may have differing views cannot be helpful. As efforts are made to stabilise the industry, the judicious use of resources while employing appropriate and tested technologies to improve production and productivity.”
Their comment noted that in the case regarding the purchase of tractors, the CEO had shared that those deliberations took place at the level of a Board sub-committee. The sub-committee is the Board’s Procurement Committee. All considerations and deliberations by this sub-committee are based on formal recommendations by executive management. In the case of the tractors, the CEO has affirmed that the recommendation to pursue articulated tractors emanated from his technical personnel.
GAWU opined, “The CEO highlighted the presence of the Union’s representative on the sub-committee. On this issue, as we pointed out previously, the sub-committee comprised several other directors, and it was their collective deliberations that led to a position that such tractors be bought for trials to determine their efficacy. When this matter was discussed with the highest levels of the Government of Guyana, it was ordered that the company purchase two such tractors which will used for trials. It further reinforces the appropriateness of the Procurement Committee’s decision making.”
“The CEO speaks voluminously regarding the independent report done by a team of engineers of the Ministry of Agriculture. Our Union has obtained a copy of this report and has carefully perused the findings therein. Of significant note to us was that the team when addressing the productivity of the articulated versus fixed frame tractors reproduced GuySuCo data on a report that previously done by its own ‘technical’ personnel,” it added.
Additionally, the Union has alleged that GuySuCo’s data was prepared long before any decision was made on the procurement of the articulated tractor and even before the submission of the independent team of the Agriculture Ministry.
“We would have thought that independent team would have sought to at least confirm what the Corporation’s technical personnel would have advanced, rather than replicating all of GuySuCo’s productivity and operating parameters in their report. The GAWU did recognise the team offered other findings but for us productivity and operating parameters remain the critical considerations, and these parameters were determined by GuySuCo’s technical personnel. The independent team did not submit, in our view, an independent report.”
The CEO had alluded prominently to the qualified personnel who examined the matter. The GAWU, in seeking to get a better understanding of the two types of tractor technologies, engaged workers who would have utilised both types of machines.
“The workers have expressed their concerns regarding the new technology being touted from several perspectives. This causes us serious apprehensions as their practical views should not be discounted. Through the interview the CEO also disclosed he was unaware of a proposal sent to the company earlier this year by the articulated tractor company (GAME). Maybe it is that the CEO is unable to fully digest documentation regarding the purchase of important tools for the industry? We are aware of the CEO’s presence at a meeting recently where the articulated tractor proposal was discussed among other proposals for tillage tractors. According to a GuySuCo social media post it was learnt that emanating from that meeting John Deere tractors were purchased.”
In the meantime, the Union’s Executive Committee is addressing its presence at the level of the GuySuCo Board of Directors and at an appropriate time will make its position known.
