Written by Denis Scott Chabrol
Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:46
Source
Hundreds of sugar workers at Blairmont Estate, West Coast Berbice on Thursday continued strike action, protesting a loss of earnings. They are also demanding the removal of Estate Manager, Corbet Victorine and Field Manager Anil Seepersaud because they believe that those officials are responsible for the pay-loss and other unsatisfactory working conditions.
Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) saw several hundreds of punts of sugarcane that are awaiting grinding for one week now.
Shortly after listening to workers' grievances and addressing them, Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan told demwaves.com that he plans to formally ask Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to offer better representation and cease taking the side of the Guyana Sugar Corporation's (GuySuCo) management. "It's a kind a sensitive route to take but we need to tell GAWU that their trade union representatives are not doing a good job and they, themselves, too are not doing such a good job," he said.
Ramjattan also intends to formally ask GuySuCo and the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy to remove the Estate Manager.
The estimated 500 workers - on strike at a time when the estate should be grinding - vow to remain on strike if their grievances are not addressed. The field and factory workers include those involved in tillage, weeding and spraying. "We are not here to get replace GAWU. We are here to help GAWU to stand up and have guts for the workers," added the AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo.
The issue is already engaging the attention of the Ministry of Labour.
Estate workers' representative, Suhanlall Ragbeer told demwaves.com that obstacle-removal and sideline dam maintenance payments have been reduced. All estate gates have been locked, preventing workers from having open-access to management officials. With certain pay cuts, he says, cane harvesters' earnings will slump from GUY$25,000 per week to GUY$17,000 per week. "Are we going to work and starve? It's best we stay home and starve. It’s unfair to the working class of people," said Ragbeer.
Workers noted that they are suffering pay cuts while GuySuCo executives travel by plane to Berbice for meetings and Victorine travels to and from Buxton everyday although estate accommodation is provided for him and his family.