STRIKING Non Pareil cane harvesters attached to Enmore Estate on Thursday last rebuffed attempts by leader of the Alliance For change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan to intrude into their business, according to a release from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU)

GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine meeting with the striking-workers at the union’s Head Office on Thursday

“While the workers were still in the compound of the union’s office, the leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan,  reportedly emerged from the Court of Appeal, next door, and on seeing the workers, appeared on the scene and proceeded to engage them on the street at the entrance of the union’s Head Office. He offered to represent them and they retorted that they had related their grievance to GAWU and they are being satisfactorily represented. After a few minutes he left the scene after he announced his telephone numbers to them,” GAWU said.

“The GAWU views this unsolicited intrusion with concern, especially in light of recent, obviously undermining, efforts by several AFC activists. As pointed out previously, these efforts, generally, were unhelpful to the aggrieved workers as well as the union’s representational obligations. In passing, the GAWU notes that within a short while of the AFC leader’s departure, the workers were visited by a reporter, who claimed to be from the Kaieteur News,” the union lamented.

The union added that on occasions it pointed out that the AFC’s modus-operandi apparently is to see and seize upon an industrial issue in the sugar industry for possible political advantage with little concern for workers’ welfare. Moreover, it would appear that the AFC’s focus is primarily on GAWU which gives rise to several questions.

“GAWU has a proud history of militancy in the sugar industry and which struggles have brought many benefits to the sugar workers and their families. GAWU has also succeeded in the years of its existence to preserve the unity of sugar workers it represents.”

“Any and all attempts to undermine this militancy or sow division in the ranks, whichever quarter it comes from, can only be construed as an attempt to weaken trade unionism in Guyana and which would inevitably be detrimental to workers’ general interests.

“The representation made by GAWU on behalf of the striking Non-Pariel workers has borne positive results. The Corporation had decided to have the foreman assigned to another gang thus paving the way for the striking workers to resume work yesterday,” the union indicated GAWU said it is reasonably confident that GUYSUCO will be guided by accepted industrial procedures to ensure that workers’ well-being is not jeopardized and the Corporation’s productivity affected.