Following protest actions by workers of the Blairmont Estate since the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) continued to ignore their concerns relating to the breakdown of the system regarding promotions at the Estate, the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) and the corporation on Tuesday signed a Terms of Resumption agreement, which seeks to restore normalcy at the Estate.
Representatives of the two parties at the agreement signing
The Union on Wednesday said that workers resumed respective duties at the Estate as both the Union and GuySuCo have agreed to meet at conciliation, under the Chairmanship of the Department, on October 30, when arguments will be proffered by the parties to advance and sustain their contentions. This agreement, the Union said, also stipulates no victimisation by either side.
During the signing of the resumption agreement at the Social Protection Ministry’s Department of Labour, Chief Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Officer Charles Ogle, among others, sought to engage the Union and GuySuCo on the factors at the root of the dispute that mushroomed into protest action by the workers.
Some of the workers who were on the protest line on Tuesday
According GAWU, its General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, explained what transpired and the circumstances which forced the workers into protest action, while the corporation, through its representatives, gave explanation on their behalf.
As such, it was agreed that the dispute would be addressed by the Ministry at the conciliation level with the Parties.
The Union, on behalf of its workers, has expressed confidence that the conciliatory proceedings will ensure that justice is meted out and the Corporation would respect its own long-standing procedures and practices. “The workers have shared the view that their demands are principled and just and all they seek is fair and equitable treatment,” the Union in a statement said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Union had stated that when it arrived at Blairmont on Monday for a meeting, members saw a notice asking interested workers to submit applications to be tested for the purposes of promotion. According to the Union, the notice is dated October 15, which is after the workers’ protest commenced. GAWU added that of importance too, is that GuySuCo’s personnel manual sets out, without ambiguity, the process regarding promotion of workers.
The relevant section of the manual, written solely and wholly by the Corporation, was allegedly not adhered to. “It brings into question the usefulness of this and any other policy and agreement if it can be ignored and altered at the whims and fancies of those who are charged with upholding them. It seems, the Corporation is taking a cue from its shareholder which, in recent times, has been disregarding and undermining several constitutional provisions,” the Union said.
Further, GAWU reminded that the 1976 Recognition and Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes Agreement requires the Union and the Corporation to refrain from using “…written and spoken word of a nature likely to engender prejudice or resentment against the other by means of groundless or useless criticism or allegation”.
