A number of cane planters, along with officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), staged a picketing exercise outside the head office of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in another effort to dissuade management from closing the Enmore Estate.
The workers and their Union strongly believe GuySuCo is setting the stage to shut down the Estate as it has been five weeks since cane planters have been unable to perform their traditional job following a decision by the Sugar Corporation to cease planting at the Estate.
According to the planters, GuySuCo is adamantly maintaining that they must take
Some of the workers protesting outside GuySuCo’s Headquarters
up cane-cutting tasks. They also alleged that in instances when cane planting was unavailable, they were offered other tasks that were currently available on the Estate.
“Such denial is not in keeping with the agreement between the Union and the company and is another disrespect meted out by the Corporation to its hardworking employees,” GAWU said in a statement to the media on Wednesday.
As a result, the planters are calling on GuySuCo to provide them with their normal tasks or to pay them in lieu of work.
The planters are also upset that a request by GAWU to engage Agriculture Minister Noel Holder remains unanswered at this time. The Union’s request to Minister Holder followed an engagement between the planters and the Union with Minister within the Social Protection Ministry with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott on March 27.
During that engagement, Minister Scott had suggested that an audience with the Agriculture Minister be sought. The Union and the workers positively considered Minister Scott’s suggestion.
During the protest, workers held up placards with messages such as: “Closure of Enmore Estate spells disaster for workers and their families”, “Cane planters are not cane cutters – give us our normal work”, “We oppose closure of Enmore Estate”, “Closure means more misery and suffering for us”, “We planters are demanding pay in lieu of work”.
In light of their strong belief that the halting of cane planting is an indication of plans to close the Enmore Estate, the workers are very much apprehensive about their future, especially taking note of the depression that has gripped several communities following the closure of the Wales Estate.
On April 11, Enmore workers and residents marched against the perceived closure, even though neither GuySuCo nor Government was yet to make an official pronouncement on the future of that estate.
Meanwhile, GAWU said it was informed that Government would be presenting a white paper on the sugar industry to the National Assembly today proposing that the industry be significantly minimised through further estate closures and sale, and certain services provided by the industry either be discontinued or funded by the State.
