GAWU’s head office vandalised

Vandals struck the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) headquarters, destroying a banner that the Union had erected with a message regarding the plight of employees.

The Union stressed that it had not seen such vandalism in the 16 years that it has

operated out of its High Street and Wights Lane, Kingston office.

According to GAWU, some two weeks ago it placed a banner with the slogan: “Did you know? Govt sugar plans will see 50,000 people pushed into poverty!” It was said that this banner was removed and replaced with another one stating: “Did you know? Estate closure and sellout means an uncertain future for thousands of youths!” GAWU claims that this second banner was ripped out by a group of young vandals. The Union disclosed that it received reports that some six men, “seemingly youths” appeared “suddenly and ripped the banner and took the cloth with them as they walked along the pavement towards the Umana Yana vicinity”.

The GAWU said it is concerned about the motive of the persons, who would have acted “so destructively and/or who directed such an action in a reasonably well-lighted area and not very distant from the Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. A report of the matter has been tendered to the Guyana Police Force at the Brickdam Police Station.”

GAWU reiterated that it has been “waging a sustained campaign” protesting Government’s plans regarding the future of the sugar industry.

“In this time, we have successfully concluded several marches, public meetings, picketing exercises, representations locally and internationally, engaging the courts, among other things, to call attention to the grave and serious consequences that would befall thousands of Guyanese and scores of communities should the plans for the sugar industry be stubbornly and heartlessly pursued,” GAWU stressed.

Despite its apparent attack, the Union maintained that it will persist in defending the interests of workers, highlighting that it is its duty to “maintain our principled and forthright positions and reiterate our firm Opposition to closure of estates and the sell-out that are being contemplated.”

The Wales Estate Closure was determined as a cost-saving measure due to billions of dollars that was allocated to the declining sugar industry. Since then, the scaling down of other estates across the country has been announced. Many stakeholders have however called for Government to conduct social impact studies to be carried out to assess how communities across the sugar belt would be affected with sure closures.