Sugar workers stage protest outside Parliament for severance

Former and current workers of the Albion, Blairmont, Uitvlugt and retrenched cane cutters from the Wales sugar estates yesterday staged a picketing exercise in front of the Parliament Building during the Budget Debate. They said that they wanted to draw attention to their growing concerns towards their severance pay and pay increase.

The workers lined the barricades on Brickdam and waved placards and shouted for justice.

First, the workers are arguing that since the cost of living has increased they are in need of a raise in pay for current workers. According to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) the salary paid to the current workers has declined by nearly $300,000 between 2014 and 2017 further placing a strain on the industry.

The union further made a stand for the workers who are yet to be paid their severance. Approximately 350 workers remain to collect their pay after being jobless for well over two years ago.

“They lied to us saying they would give increases, that they won’t take away our jobs and they would give us our severance pay. But they have failed to deliver on all these promises,” said one protester.

Another protester stated, “This severance pay is what they owe us; they are required to pay us our money but they are denying us like if the money is they own.”

“We need money Christmas.”

Some Members of the Opposition, including Bharrat Jagdeo, Juan Edgihill and Priya Manichand, came out to give support to the protesting workers.

The Opposition parliamentarians could be seen conversing with the workers and voiced their support for the workers plights to be heard

for and attended to.

However, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, told the National Assembly during the debate of the 2019 budgetary estimates that the workers who were severed in 2016 were prevented from receiving their severance pay because of a court action filed by the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU). Moreover, a ruling on the rate of interest to be paid on the outstanding severances was expected to be released yesterday and therefore the government will be able to issue the payment.

He added that the workers severed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) are likely to receive their severance pay by the end of this week.

The Minister stated that the funds are already on hand and will be paid once the court announces the interest rate for the severance payments. (Kaieteur News)