GuySuCo plagued by labour shortages, now shifting to mechanisation – new CEO

…as Uitvlugt workers raise concerns about debunching

As labour woes continues across various sectors in Guyana, the sugar industry has not been spared by the impact and according to the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Paul Cheong, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has been shifting to mechanise its operations to address this issue.
Cheong made these remarks while addressing field workers at the Uitvlugt Estate, West Coast Demerara, on Wednesday morning during which he lauded the factory for its performance in recent times, in meeting targets.

As he urged sugar workers to continue these efforts, the CEO recognises the challenges posed by labour shortages – something which he said GuySuCo is addressing through mechanisation.
“We know also, we have challenges with labour because the country is growing, it’s expanding and the economy is diversifying and so, more and more people are going towards jobs like construction, work in factories and so on… we’re looking at ways in which we can utilise you in terms of providing equipment and to mechanise – do more things with machinery…so, for us to get efficient, we need to do more stuff using machinery and equipment. And in this crop, I know some of the harvesting will be mechanised,” he explained.
Even with efforts to mechanise, the CEO assured the workers that there is still a need for them within the sugar industry. In fact, he outlined the steps taken by GuySuCo to train and upskill sugar workers.
“We still want you to do your part and we’re still continuing to find work [for you] and we train those who want to move in other areas in the estate. So, it is always important that we try to develop ourselves. We can learn different things and we have many people here who are willing to learn so we will work with you and train you in different areas,” the CEO posited.
Cheong went onto talk about Government’s efforts to return the sugar industry to profitability by making heavy investments. In turn, he said they need to put in the work to realise this goal.
On this note, the GuySuCo CEO urged workers to upkeep their performance in the fields in order to ensure that the Uitvlugt factory runs continuously this crop.
“We know we have issues when we stop-start and we don’t want that. To achieve efficiency, we have to get the factory run continuously. When you run continuously, you get better recoveries and you guys know that. We gotta co-ordinate with the harvesting team and the factory so harvesting team can supply the amount of cane that the factory needs.”
“So, the whole chain has to work properly for us to achieve what we want to achieve, for us to reduce our cost and for us to get more efficient. So, I’m asking whatever work you are doing and whatever work we ask you to do, you need to do it so that we can achieve our goal and objectives,” he implored.
Cheong, who only took over the helm of the sugar industry just last month to replace former CEO Sasenarine Singh, also used the opportunity to hear from the field workers, who raised concerns about debunching and other matters.
One worker complained about a debunching exercise that was previously introduced. This saw experienced workers with years of service under their belt being placed on the same wage/salary scale with a new-comer.
“Now, it’s not fair to us, who got 20-years or 30-years of service, for a man to come in last week and get the same rate with us. At the end of the day, when [the new-comer] is getting the same rate, we still gotta do the work for him but he achieving the same [wage/salary] with us, and for me and my fellow workers, that is not fair,” the worker complained.
In response, the GuySuCo CEO said this issue was also raised at other estates he recently visited and promised to have the matter resolved.
“We’ll fix it… we’re working on it,” he reassured.
Guyana Times understands that there is an agreement being drafted between GuySuCo and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to address this debunching issue.
Meanwhile, in addition to the field workers at the Uitvlugt Estate, Cheong also met with other categories for workers during his visit on Wednesday. The GuySuCo CEO also met with Union representatives from that estate.
According to GuySuCo, the engagement was “productive” with discussions “…focusing on strengthening our partnership and ensuring a supportive workplace for everyone.”