GuySuCo, private contractor deny responsibility for workers’ wages

…as striking packaging plant to have NIS issues resolved

Demerara Gold Packaging Plant workers who are currently on strike say they have been promised that their non-remittance National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions issues is expected to be resolved today. (Thursday)
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) nor the private contractor hired to oversee the operations of its Demerara Gold Packaging Plant at Blairmont are accepting responsibility for increasing the wages of workers at the facility.
GuySuCo maintains that the workers fall under the employ of a private contractor.
The workers, all female have been on strike since Sunday demanding a wage increase saying they are being paid at a rate below the national minimum wage.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation- GuySuCo said those workers are not their employees.

The workers according to GuySuCo, are under the employ of a private contractor.
The workers are paid at a rate of $330 per hour. The minimum wages order stipulates $347 per hour or $2,776 per day. Those workers are receiving $2,640 per day.
Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo Paul Cheung says the contractor tendered for the tasks associated with the packaging of sugar.
However, Rian Pieters who has the contact told this publication that the wage rate was set by GuySuCo.
According to the striking workers, they have not benefited from government’s wage increase in 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, they said National Insurance Scheme contributions is deducted from their wages.
The workers alleged that deductions are being made for NIS contributions, however, no monies are being remitted to the Scheme.
“When I asked the person that used to pay us, she said I need to go to NIS and make a claim. I was told by other workers who have been working longer that me that they have NIS cards and when they went to NIS office and there is no money paid there for them,” one of the employees Sohana Smartt, revealed.
Another one of the employees Shemol Bourne says there has been no information forthcoming in relation to their demands for a wage hike.
“So far nothing has happened but Mr Pieters said he would come back on Thursday for us to sign up concerning our NIS.”
The plant workers, they have tried to address their wages with management of the Blairmont Estate on numerous occasions.
According to Joylyn Rodney, their wages has not increased from $2,640 per day over rhe past five years she has been employed at the packaging facility.
“When we talk to Rian Pieters, he tells us that we have to go to them and when we go to them, they telling us that we have to go back to Rian Pieters – nothing working out for us,” she said.
They workers say they will not be returning to work unit the issue of their wage increase is addressed.
Meanwhile, staff from the Blairmont Estate has been running the packaging plant along with retirees since the workers went on strike.
This publication is still awaiting an official statement in relation to allegations that some of the porters employed at the packaging plant are underaged boys. (G4)