Govt disregards welfare of sugar workers – Gaskin

As Government pursues its plans to shut down multiple sugar estates across the country, the welfare of thousands of sugar workers becomes of prime concern, Economist Ramon Gaskin said on Saturday.

According to Gaskin, confidence in the authorities to protect workers’ rights is weak in light of the injustices currently being meted out against several hundreds of displaced workers who had been attached to the Wales Estate.

In a telephone interview with ((Guyana Times)) on Saturday, Gaskin said the promise made by Cabinet that Government would ensure the best interests of the workers are upheld is nothing but sheer rhetoric and political propaganda. He urged onlookers to ignore the pretension and observe for themselves the reality of the situation.

“Sending home people at Wales has proven to be a problem, and there are only a couple hundred people there. If they go and close all those estates, what will happen to the people?” the commentator rationalised.

This Administration plans to privatize the Skeldon Estate and close down the Rose Hall and Enmore estates, according to well-placed sources. Reports indicate that the Administration has developmental plans for the estates at Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion. Only recently, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during a post-Cabinet press briefing, confirmed that proposals have been made to fold more estates across the country, but he refused to divulge more information in this regard.

Gaskin strongly believes that havoc would be wreaked and that the economy would collapse into a greater economic calamity if the coalition pushes ahead with its plan.

“GuySuCo has about 17,000 people. To keep three estates, it means you will have to send home about 10,000 people. I am not sure Government has worked out how to do that,” he stated.

Retraining

Gaskin noted that, already, Government is refusing to pay several workers their severance packages and is seemingly forcing them to work at an estate 22 miles from their place of living. He lamented the economic turmoil which would prevail if workers are thrown on the breadline without a proper plan to retrain them to ensure they continue contributing meaningfully to society.

“They are not focusing on what is going to be done with workers who are being dislocated in the reorganization. They need to be trained for other jobs outside of sugar. Where is the master plan that Government has to deal with 10,000 people? What are you going to do with 10,000 people?” he asked.

Gaskin, who has been studying the sugar industry since 2003, contended that investments must be made now to ensure sugar workers are retrained in plumbing, carpentry, masonry, block making, meter reading, among other important skillsets.

Bottom-line

According to the economist, the bottom line is that sugar production is viable only at the Skeldon Estate.

“Skeldon is the most problematic estate, but Skeldon is the best of the lot, because Skeldon has the capacity to do cogeneration and sell power to GPL,” Gaskin explained.

He referred to a report which documented that the cogeneration sale for one year was a whopping $9 billion. Moreover, he called out the union body for its advocacy for Government to continue subsidizing the industry.

“Unrefrigerated fish”

The economist also suspects that because of the potential of Skeldon, Government is embarking on secretive discussions to sign deals with companies to take over the lucrative estate. Already, two companies have approached the Government with proposals to take over the Skeldon Estate.

In one instance, a secret Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Trinidad company D. Rampersad and Company Limited (DRCL) – which has no experience in the field, to produce bulk rum, develop solar power, and produce ethanol at that location.

The other company is an Indian firm which was introduced to Government by the son-in-law of the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Shrinath Ispat Limited said it wanted to take over the management and operation of the entire estate, including sugar manufacturing and cogeneration of power divisions.

“The whole thing is starting to acquire the odour of unrefrigerated fish. What do they think this is at all? This is Jubilee Park? No, this is serious business!” Gaskin remarked.

Government is yet to officially issue a statement on the proposals, and Gaskin believes the secrecy in which the discussions are being undertaking is a sign of bad faith.

“It’s not transparent, it is corrupt; it is self-serving and self-dealing,” he posited, noting that it seems like another ‘Parking Meter Deal’ in the making.