GuySuCo commits to rehiring 5000 workers as sugar estates reopen

…honours 95 workers for over 4 decades of service

Noting that some 700 workers have already been rehired as Government forges ahead with its plans to revitalise the sugar industry, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has clapped back at naysayers as he made it clear that the PPP/C Administration is committed to rehiring 5000 sugar workers who were dismissed under the former APNU/AFC Administration.
This commitment was made at the award ceremony held for Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers who dedicated their services for more than 40 years.
Some 7000 sugar workers were thrown on the breadline under the APNU/AFC Administration when it had closed the Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates.

During the election campaign trail, the PPP/C promised to reopen those estates.
And, since the PPP/C Administration assumed office in August of this year, they have been putting systems in place to achieve just this. Already, over 700 persons have been rehired.
The Agriculture Minister recommitted to ensuring 5000 persons are rehired.
“Our Government is cognisant of the fact that many livelihoods and communities are dependent on this industry. We are aware that the entire community are built around sugar. We heard your cry when hope seemed lost, when there was no work and loss of income… that is why the reopening of these estates is important…. more than 5000 sugar workers will be rehired,” the Minister said.
Notwithstanding, Minister Mustapha explained that as the estates reopen, the Guyana Sugar Corporation will have to look at new and innovative ways to stay profitable.
This, he said, includes diversifying and tapping into new markets
“We in the Government will encourage GuySuCo to continue to pursue product diversification. For GuySuCo to survive we cannot continue to produce raw brown sugar, we have to ensure that we produce value-added product,” he said.

Workers heart of sugar industry
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh at the said event declared that GuySuCo workers are the heart of the country’s sugar industry.
On Tuesday, a total of 95 workers were recognised for their 40-plus years of service to the sugar company.
The 95 sugar workers, who hail from the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates and GuySuCo’s Head Office, were awarded during a ceremony held on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
CEO of GuySuCo Sasenarine Singh, while addressing the workers, noted that without their contributions, the country’s sugar industry could not have been where it is today.
“I found gold. GuySuCo’s gold is its people, and I can emphatically declare today that GuySuCo’s greatest assets is its people. Not its machinery, not its equipment, but you the people,” he said.
He further expressed gratitude to the workers for their time of service, noting that they are the heart of the sugar industry.
“You are the heart and soul of the sugar industry, and I want every worker in the sugar belt to walk around from today onwards with your heads held high and confident as leaders in your own right, because it was you who persevered under the odds when some tried to close this industry down,” he said.