Protests against closure of sugar estates gain momentum

The protests against the impending closure of sugar estates across the country have gained momentum on the ground, as hundreds of workers of Rose Hall Estate staged a picketing exercise on Tuesday.

The Estate, which employs some 2400 persons, has not taken lightly the proposal made by President David Granger to have Albion, Blairmont, and Uitvlugt Estates remain open.

Many workers believe this is a clear indication that Rose Hall is one of the Estates that could be next to close its operation, and workers there are likely to be placed on the breadline.

The workers backed by their Union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) displayed placards as they vented their anger at the announcement of the President.

The otherwise peaceful protest was disturbed momentarily when former workers’ union representative Paul Austin, who was fired from the Estate and was now an Alliance For Change (AFC) activist, engaged protesters.

Traffic was stopped along the East Canje roadway for a few minutes as the protest took over the road.

Austin was taken away by the Police, and the several hundred protesters continued their peaceful protest.

One protester carrying a placard which read “Your own words, ‘Sugar too big to fail’”, called on the President not to close the Estate.

Another worker holding a placard which read “What about the 20 percent promise?” said they were all fooled by the coalition when its promise of a 20 per cent increase was made. “They raise they pay 100 per cent. The treasury isn’t running down with all the Minister’s pay since they double they salary? They are milking the taxpayers to full their pockets…”

The protest caused the Estate to cease grinding operations, as no cane was burnt on Monday in anticipation of the workers’ protest action.

Workers also reminded that just a few weeks ago, acting President Moses Nagamootoo in his substantial position as Prime Minister, while speaking at the remembrance event for the Rose Hall Martyrs, promised that “sugar will never die”. However, they say they are now faced with the real prospect of joblessness and impoverishment.

Furthermore, the workers are convinced that the plans touted by Administration and Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) officials offer little hope for a secure and bright future.

They say the closure of Rose Hall Estate – should it proceed, would take a heavy toll on many communities. The town of New Amsterdam would also be affected adversely in a big way.

According to one of the protesters, if the Estate is closed, there will be nothing for the more than 2000 workers to do as well as those who operate businesses that serve estate workers, as there will be no money to sustain those businesses.

“They talking about education – where you gon get money fo send the children to school? Two years they in there and they ain’t do anything fo sugar… nothing at all. Now they trying to take away bread from we.”

The emotions exhibited by the worried workers showed that it was not a politically motivated protest but one in which the workers were pleading with the Government to rethink a decision it has made which would adversely affect generations. More particularly, the effects of that decision would almost be irreparable, at least for decades.

GAWU’s Berbice Representative, Harvey Tambron, who stood with the more than 600 workers Tuesday morning, noted that the Wales Estate was ordered closed without any consultation with the Union, the legal bargaining agent for the workers. He says the Union is fearful that the Government is planning to do the same thing in Berbice.

“And you go to Wales, you will see the entire area is a ghost town, people are without jobs and this is what will happen here if they close Rose Hall. If there is a proposal or an announcement to close Rose Hall, they should look at it and do a feasibility study. If they are to sell Skeldon, then they should do a study.

A study will reveal how people will live if they are to sell the Estate, what will be the result and that will tell you what the alternatives are. So, it is important that they should do a feasibility study before any announcement,” Tambron said.

A statement from GAWU on Tuesday said the workers were worried about the issues they may face should the closure plans be implemented.

“The workers are convinced that the plans touted by Government and the (Guyana Sugar Corporation) GuySuCo officials offer little hope for a secured and bright future,” the statement said.

GAWU said too that if these plans materialised, the town of New Amsterdam would also be particularly affected given that sugar workers and their families were the source of much business there.

“The GAWU finds it puzzling, indeed disheartening, that such plans are contemplated when other jobs, especially in the East Canje area, are simply unavailable,” the Union added.

GAWU has vowed to cripple planned efforts to close other estates, including the East Demerara Estate (Enmore Estate), in the name of restructuring.

GAWU President Komal Chand had told Guyana Times that the Union would begin amassing workers to take to the streets in massive protests against this move.

While the Union has been engaged in some level of protests over the past weeks, particularly in Enmore, Chand stated that the numbers were likely to grow in coming weeks and months.

“They hope that they will draw support from the residents and others, with the view to build a strong protest because that might be one of the ways to get Government to rethink its position,” he added.

GAWU said if the protest attracted enormous crowds like the parking meter project protests in Georgetown, it would send a strong message to the coalition Government.