Workers burn US$$$ in cane…Skeldon sugar workers continue strike action

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the largest sugar workers union, Guyana Agricultural

An aerial view of Skeldon factory

and General Workers Union (GAWU), are yet to resolve matters that have caused massive protest action at the Skeldon sugar estate to spiral out of control.
Protest action continued yesterday as the sugar workers demonstrated against the “arbitrary” dismissal of one of their co-workers, while sugar workers at the Albion Estate, further up the coast, also joined in the strike in solidarity.
Over the weekend a sugar worker was dismissed from his job after he allegedly slapped the Skeldon estate manager Dave Kumar. However, sugar workers are alleging that the manager was the one at fault and have demanded that the staffer be rehired.
Protest action against their colleague’s dismissal also lead to workers setting fire to tugs fetching some 130 metric tons of cane which were being transported to factories for grinding.
Up to late yesterday afternoon, members of GuySuCo and GAWU were still in meeting being chaired by the Ministry’s Chief Labour Officer, but according to officials, none of the matters were actively resolved. GAWU is requesting that the dismissal letter be withdrawn against the sugar worker or an inquiry be held into the incident involving the staff and his manager. GuySuCo has however, refused both proposals, head of GAWU Komal Chand told Kaieteur News.
It was the hope of the union, he told the newspaper, that the Labour Ministry would be able to persuade GuySuCo to take either of the union’s proposals. Chand said that hopes were high also that the matter would be resolved as soon as possible so workers can return to their jobs, especially since it is his belief that GuySuCo would want to make the best of the good weather.
GuySuCo Director Jairam Pitam told this publication yesterday that workers at the Chinese-built Skeldon Estate which is located over 100 miles outside of the city, walked off the job on Monday and set alight already cut cane stalks.  Pitam said that both the union and GuySuCo walked away empty-handed following the meeting with the Chief Labour Officer and another meeting  is expected at noon today so that matters involving the cane cutters could be addressed.
Pitam said that GAWU has asked for some time to consult with workers, hence today’s follow-up meeting. While claims are that the manager with whom the worker had the dispute was drunk and has abused staffers in his drunken state, Pitam said that GuySuCo is currently in possession of evidence that says otherwise. He explained that other managers from the estate were present during the altercation and deny that the manager was drunk and abusive.
The union head had told Kaieteur News, however, that the report by workers who also claimed to have been present during the altercation is that the manager came to the estate in a “deep state of drunkenness” and began to abuse workers. Chand related that the manager was said to have been drinking all afternoon and when he encountered the worker, Stephen Daniels, who is of African descent, he reportedly used racial slurs and terms against the worker. The estate manager claims he was slapped by the worker, while other reports suggest that the manager is the one who attacked the worker.
It is estimated that several thousand US dollars worth of cane had been burnt, but Chand says all is not lost since it is the ideal time for reaping. He said that some of the cane burnt in the fields could still be used, but the strike must end so that the cane could be processed within a certain time.
“The cane cannot be left languishing or it will lose its content,” he told the publication.
“The Skeldon plant has not been performing to its peak, and I would think that Guysuco would want to resolve this matter as soon as possible and make use of the good weather,” the union head stated. GAWU has indicated however, that the union has made rational proposals, but GuySuCo seems not to be budging.
As strike action continues, the location remains without electricity as turbine-powered energy is not being propelled by the protesting sugar workers.