The signs are becoming even clearer each day for the workers of the Enmore and LBI Estates of the closure of those East Coast Demerara (ECD) facilities. Back in 2016, the Enmore and LBI estates were combined into the East Demerara Estate in an effort to save both facilities.
On Wednesday morning, the workers of the estate responsible for applying fertiliser to the canes informed the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) that they were ordered to halt such proceedings.
The workers engaged the Union’s General Secretary Seepaul Narine and revealed that they were informed by Estate Management that they were no longer required to apply fertiliser.
However, the female workers were told by management that they were still required to weed and the males to harvest the canes.
This, according to the workers, is adding weight to reports of the closure of the estates to which they strongly oppose.
The workers continue to voice their dissatisfaction, noting that they would be unable to find jobs should the decision be fully pursued.
Early last week, GAWU met with 40 workers attached to the estates after they were informed that GuySuCo’s Management had instructed the workers, those responsible for planting cane that their services for such would no longer be needed.
However, they were told that the cane cutting procedure would be continued. As such, the workers began calling for their severance pay as their services were no longer needed.
According to GAWU, even though the announcement was not made, the ending of cane planting activities is a clear indication that GuySuCo is gearing to close down its operations at the estate.
“The decision by the Corporation to end cane planting is testimony that the Estate is being geared for closure,” GAWU contends. “Interestingly, so far, no official announcement to that end has been made, either by the Government or by the GuySuCo, yet the Corporation is implementing steps indicating the estate’s closure,” GAWU had said after meeting with the workers.
This revelation, according to GAWU contradicts the words of the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo that “sugar will not die”.
The Union had informed that it learned through a meeting with GuySuCo that plans to end cane planting at the East Demerara Estate and at the Rose Hall Estate in East Berbice were afoot.
Early in this Month, this newspaper was informed by workers of the Enmore Estate – who took to the streets in protest – that they were given letters from the Agriculture Ministry which stated that the East Demerara Estate would stop proceedings after the 2017 crop harvest.
GAWU noted that the East Demerara Estate employs some 2200 employees in the field, factory, security, administrative and managerial sections.
All will be unemployed if the estate is to be closed.
