GAWU’s ‘wildcat strike’ placed GuySuCo in clear danger – CEO

The union body for sugar workers – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) – placed the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in clear danger on Tuesday, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh has claimed.

His comments follow a strike action taken by factory workers at the Uitvlugt Estate, West Coast Demerara which placed the corporation’s production targets in jeopardy.

The workers are demanding ‘holiday with pay’ (HWP) for the first crop of 2022.

Labelling it a “wildcat strike”, Singh said the actions taken by the union body were reckless.

“At the commencement of the crop without notice they called a wildcat strike,” the CEO told the News Room.

Singh said, fortunately, GuySuCo was able to mobilise skilled factory operators from Rose Hall and Blairmont to grind the cane on the docks of the factory.

“The corporation calls on GAWU to cooperate and respect the grievance procedures so that we can all focus on the common good of producing sugar by Guyanese for Guyanese.

“GuySuCo calls on GAWU’s leadership to bring an end to this anti-national and anti-patriotic behaviour,” Singh said.

With the Uitvlugt factory having only ground for 14 hours in the first crop due to a mechanical failure, GuySuCo said grinding operations for the second crop were set to commence on Tuesday.

GuySuCo said it had already addressed the issue for which the workers held the strike at a meeting held on May 31 with the GAWU’s union representative attached to the estate.

At that meeting, the Estate Manager informed the union that for HWP to be facilitated, a payment method will have to be established which requires one week of grinding.

The estate is reportedly fully ready to commence grinding operations for the second crop, in pursuit of a sugar production target of 10,800 MT.

Some 223 punts of cane are at the dock, ready to be crushed.

With Blairmont and Albion Estates expected to commence grinding within the next two weeks, it is paramount for the Uitvlugt Estate to produce sugar to fulfill the needs of the local market.

GuySuCo, as a consequence, urged all employees of Uitvlugt Estate to work harmoniously and also called on the union to provide the support needed at this time.