| Factory workers at the Enmore Estate commenced a three-day strike yesterday to protest the job evaluation done by the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and its refusal to pay the agreed upon “holiday-with-pay”. The workers were in consensus to down tools immediately after their representative concluded a meeting with the company’s Personnel Manager at which an amicable agreement was not reached.The striking workers outside the Enmore Estate factory yesterday.Factory workers’ representative, Sukhram, told the media that the issues were raised with the Personnel Manager but the response was not satisfactory. He explained that the company had written to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) informing of its cash flow problem and its inability to pay the workers.“They (GuySuCo) ain’t say when they gon pay and the workers are very dissatisfied over the situation,” Sukhram said.The sugar corporation reported a significant shortfall in its projected production for its first crop of 30,000 tonnes of sugar.Guysuco’s projected target was 101,800 tonnes and to date only 71,000 tonnes have been produced.The company in a statement issued last Monday said that all estates, with the exception of Skeldon and Blairmont, closed their crop on May 11. The corporation blamed low worker turnout and strike action throughout the crop for the shortfall.According to GuySuCo, there was a 52% turnout of cane harvesters and 143 strikes by workers within the first crop. This is the second strike since then, taking the total to 145.The workers are convinced that GuySuCo is using a red herring to deny them the agreed payout.While GuySuCo is blaming them, the workers are once again citing poor management for the present woes of the sugar industry.“Not the weather, not the workers, it is poor management,” the workers’ representative told this newspaper outside the Enmore sugar factory where the striking employees had assembled.One worker also claimed that in the first place there was not enough cane in the fields to satisfy the set target.“And just because of that dem fall short…the lowest target of sugar dem ever mek fuh de past 20 odd years. GuySuCo blaming workers,” the worker stated.The worker explained that since the closure of the LBI Estate, the Enmore factory has been grinding for two estates, hence he cannot see how there is a shortfall of cane for grinding.“Dem get two estate cane fuh supply de factory and yet dem seh dem nah get enough cane.”The workers explained that every day throughout the first crop more than 100 punts of cane were transported from LBI to Enmore on a daily basis.Another worker declared that he cannot see why the company is declaring a shortfall in revenue to pay them since according to him, there appeared to be no shortage of sugar that was loaded for export at the Enmore Estate.“Me know to me self the amount ah container and sugar dat I load,Allen Iverson Jersey, GuySuCo supposed to get money fuh pay workers. Every day is eight, nine, ten container we loading,” the worker declared.According to the workers, management is ignorant of what is taking place in the actual fields, and is reluctant to be advised by the workers as to how to improve the situation.“Right now you go in de backdam, de roads, everything very bad in de backdam. Tractors can’t get fuh do de kinda job wha dey have to do. So all that cause low production and every time GuySuCo fall short, we de workers suffering,” the worker added.They claimed that while their earnings are tied to the amount of production, the management enjoys their normal pay “no matter what”.The strike will significantly hamper the sugar company since it will affect the planned maintenance of the Enmore factory.“It is the maintenance period now and they want to grind early (for the next crop). They throw ripener pon de cane and it gon ready fuh de third week in July, so dem fighting fuh grind by then. With this strike they gon get a good setback,” the workers’ representative explained.The workers said that although they know they will not be paid for the three days they will be off the job, they are willing to make that sacrifice.“Years ago the elder people used to make sacrifice for us and now is the time we have to sacrifice. Three, four days nah gon bother we, it gon bother GuySuCo. Every time workers fuh get a money, dem gat fuh strike. Why we gat fuh suffer so much?” one worker asked. |
