Sugar workers were not promised a wage increase – the Minister of Agriculture
Kaieteur News-The Government has not made any promises to sugar workers on wage increases but according to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, “we will make sure we work with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to see what we can do… ”
The Minister of Agriculture made these and other comments on the margins of a weekend community consultation in Maida, East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six). There, he was asked to respond to the situation with Uitvlugt sugar workers regarding benefits.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha
Those workers dropped equipment last week to protest what they called wage talks and stopped wages – despite progress made in the sugar industry.
According to the subject minister, the government is awaiting a report on the matter from GuySuCo CEO Sasenarine Singh.
The Minister of Agriculture in his side remarks sought to highlight that pay agreements are the responsibility of GuySuCo and the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU). With this in mind, Minister Mustapha noted that the Government is not interfering with management and union negotiations.
Accordingly, Minister Mustapha said GuySuCo’s ability to pay the increases would take into account investments, which the corporation has made since August, to revitalize the estates.
He told reporters that the government had been pumping money into the industry over the last nine months to develop and recapitalize the industry and “we are already starting to see results from some of the estates.”
Albion and Blairmont Estates were commended for making three extra days’ pay for improving the factories through critical capital works.
Workers, GAWU, said their efforts were partly responsible for the improvements identified, which is why their position is that they should receive some due reward for their contributions.
The Union said that for its part it remains open to frank discussions with the Corporation adding, “GAWU and its employees are keen to find a fair settlement to all sides. ”
GAWU in lamenting the situation regarding the pay talks last week noted that, as a result of the pay freeze, which they suffered during the Coalition term, some workers were earning slightly above the national minimum wage .
The workers were allegedly inadequate to care for their families.
Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha used the occasion to indicate that plans are underway to establish infrastructure such as roads, to facilitate faster transportation of cans from the fields to the factories.
Under this year’s budget, $ 2 billion will be allocated to carry out critical capital works at GuySuCo as part of the Government’s efforts to diversify the sugar industry that was hampered by the previous administration.