The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has brokered a deal with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for a salary increase to workers, after five years of wage freeze and countless protests/picketing for a better income.
File photo: Picketing in front of the President’s Office for a wage hike
In a statement, the Union explained that the interim pay rise pact will see piece-rate workers benefitting from a five per cent rise in pay; time-rated workers receiving an increase of $20 per hour, and monthly-paid staffers will receive an increase of $4100 per month. Apart from those improvements, certain increases have been approved with respect to a number of allowances disbursed.
GAWU, during an engagement with the Corporation on April 3, had proposed the implementation of the new rates retroactive to from January 2020 while the parties continue discussions regarding retroactive payments for 2019.
“The Union, at this time, re-emphasises our strong conviction that the period of retroactivity ought to commence from January 01, 2019. Our position, in this regard, takes into account that the discussions between the GAWU and the GuySuCo flowed from our 2019…It, therefore, follows the obvious logic that every single improvement ought to begin from that point as well. Additionally, the Union and the Corporation have yet to commence any discussion for 2020 and, therefore, we see the GuySuCo position as being misplaced,” the Union explained.
GAWU highlighted that as they remain committed towards discussions on the lone outstanding retroactive benefits, workers have been “badly battered” through five years of no increases. This was caused by a rise in the cost of living every year among other factors. However, GuySuCo has positioned that they cannot foster talks on retroactivity at present.
“In the intervening period, the cost of living rose significantly which deleteriously affected their standard of living. Of course, we could not ignore too, the hike in the even more acute hike in cost of living that has permeated since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Guyana. It was against that background we proposed to GuySuCo this interim arrangement.”
“We are hopeful that the Corporation would soon be able to provide the outstanding payments to its workers, who obviously are in need of the monies. We look too that the State, as it has done for its other employees, to exempt these payments from income taxes especially at this time when workers need every dollar,” the statement added.
On another note, other matters were raised, which suggest that the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited – Special Purposes Unit (NICIL-SPU) has been withholding bonds to proceed with capital works. This, GAWU said, is taking its effect on productivity.
“The stance by NICIL-SPU has served to significantly hamstring the industry which is seeking to advance certain works in the fields [of] cane productivity and production. This charade has been ongoing now for years and seemingly there is no end in sight. At the same time, we have seen too the obvious ignorance of the issues by the powers-that-be.”
Workers from the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Sugar Estates had been waiting for a wage increase since 2015 – when the coalition Administration took office.
