THE Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has accused Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo of organising a picketing exercise against the union and the High Court of Guyana.“The union has information to the effect that the workers who met the Prime Minister at his office were reportedly encouraged to conduct a picketing exercise outside of GAWU’s Headquarters and the High Court around early August, 2016,” GAWU said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to GAWU, a report was also received which suggests that the management of Wales Estate has been providing a few selected workers from those aggrieved with the mobile numbers and names of their colleagues, to facilitate mobilization for the picketing exercises.
Circulating too, the union said, is information that the 11 workers who met with the Prime Minister and the Agriculture Minister have received an “inducement for their picketing assignment.”

It was reported that the Prime Minister met the 11 aggrieved workers on July 27, 2016. It was there, GAWU said, that the PM reportedly informed the workers that, “GuySuCo is prepared to pay the severance and monies have been set aside for same, but the company could not act in violation of the injunction.”

Additionally, it was noted that Agriculture Minister Noel Holder also told the workers that GuySuCo was prepared “to effect the payment with immediate effect, should the order of the court be lifted.”

In light of this, the union contends, it was interesting to note that the “independent” Board of GuySuCo is seemingly having its work conducted by Government Ministers.

GAWU sought to explain that the workers’ severance payment became payable on April 22, 2016, almost two weeks before the issuance of the Court Order, and GuySuCo failed to pay the workers within that timeframe. As such, the union questioned how the Court Order could possibly frustrate or prevent the payment of the severance allowance.

“Obviously, this is simply a ploy,” GAWU said, adding that either the Prime Minister or the Minister of Agriculture were misled by the sugar company, or were “deliberately mischievous” at the expense of the plight of the poor sugar workers.

Further, GAWU contends that the objective of the Court Order, at the instance of the two unions, is to ensure that the rights of the other workers (about 1,550) are not trampled upon.

“The Prime Minister and the Agriculture Minister sought, at the July 27, 2016 meeting with the group of workers, to grab at an opportunity to shift the blame of GuySuCo’s non-payment to the workers, or to resort to legal action at this time. The Prime Minister should know such tactics are not really effective these days,” the statement said.

GAWU sought to reason, too, that there is no doubt that, sooner than later, the Court Order would not be in place, since in another eleven weeks the second sugar crop at Wales is scheduled to close and GuySuCo would be required before then to complete its determination on the fate of those workers who are presently in the estate’s employ.

As such, the union stated, it understands that the two government officials’ message to the 11 workers is for them to confront the unions, so that they could withdraw the Court Order.

“This explains why GuySuCo did not readily contest the Order when it came into being. The corporation’s position obviously was to procrastinate to (cause) further disaffection by the 104 workers with their two unions. It’s obvious that GuySuCo’s lethargic position in dealing with the Order has been politically influenced,” GAWU added in its statement.

Meanwhile, the body revealed that GuySuCo has assured both GAWU and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) that the unions would be involved in all related discussions as the corporation and the government endeavour to fulfill a decision regarding the closure of Wales Estate. This was reportedly agreed upon at a meeting on January 20, 2016.

Sixty-seven (67) Wales workers’ employment was, according to GAWU, selectively terminated without their due compensation in February, 2016. Management deemed those workers as temporary workers.

Some workers, including planters and mechanical tillage operators, were directed by the management to take up employment at Uitvlugt Estate, since their work at Wales was deemed redundant.

According to GAWU, at the same time, officials from GuySuCo’s Central Office summoned a number of workers to meet with them.

Subsequently, 104 were notified in writing that their jobs have been deemed redundant. They were reportedly given the required one month’s notice, with the primary requirement that their severance allowance be paid at the end of the notice period, which was April 22, 2016.

However, GAWU stated, this undertaking to which GuySuCo is legally bound has not been fulfilled. As a result, the 104 workers not only have been denied their just severance entitlements, but have not been provided work since April 22, 2016.