GAWU urges that workers’ interests be safeguarded

Plans for sugar industry partnership

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) is urging the Government, in light of recent revelations that private partnerships are being sought, to ensure that the interests of the workers are safeguarded in whatever future partnerships are entered into.
The Union was at the time referring to comments by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.
GAWU said the question of private interests in the sugar industry has long attracted discussions and contentions more so, given the wretched history of the industry when it was controlled by the former sugar barons. The Union was among the many supportive voices, at the time, which hailed the nationalisation of the industry and according to them, they still believe the sugar industry served the interest of the nation in the hands of the State.
“We also, at the same time, cannot be ignorant to the pressing realities which confront the industry. Our Union has lamented, in more recent times, the lack of managerial skill and the dearth of capital investment. We are convinced that the industry can rebound and play a more meaningful role but such initiatives, we know, would require some amount of capital,” the Union said in a statement.
GAWU added that they had previously indicated this to the APNU/AFC Administration in 2017 when they presented the paper titled “Securing the sugar industry”. In that paper, the Union outlined several initiatives which could assure the industry’s turnaround and success. Through that paper as well, GAWU urged the then Government to consider partnerships with the Private Sector or other institutional investors to bring those initiatives to life.
However, the Union said that it is unfortunate that the coalition chose to ignore its every suggestion as it relates to the sugar industry.
“The new Irfaan Ali Government, it appears, has decided to go the route we had previously suggested…we also urge the Administration to give sincere and careful consideration to welfare and well-being of the thousands of the industry workers. President Ali has recently signalled his understanding of the hardship and misery that greeted workers and their families following the closure of estates. We are sure he wishes to remove that ignominious stain and to avoid a situation that will engender a repetition. It is against this background that the GAWU sees the need for the rights and conditions of workers being safeguarded as the industry moves into its next phase of development,” GAWU noted.
The Union stated that it remains a committed partner to the turnaround of the sugar industry. It added that in as much as they seek to see the industry recover and take its rightful place in the economic scheme, it knows too of its critical importance to workers and their communities.