PPP censures Nagamootoo over GuySuCo comments

Attorney-at-law and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) executive member Moses Nagamootoo has been censured by the central committee of that party for comments he made in response to a threat by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to derecognise the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar told the media on Wednesday, December 22nd that Nagamootoo’s comments were in poor taste. Ramotar disclosed that Nagamootoo was warned and censured at a meeting held on Tuesday, December 14. 

The PPPC general secretary revealed that the committee found the statements to be “reckless and intemperate”, and in bad taste. “He heard President Jagdeo’s statements that there will be no derecognition under his government, and he heard how we were in sympathy with the sugar corporation, and yet he went out there with this sort of grandstanding,” Ramotar explained. 

According to Ramotar, some persons are calling on Nagamootoo to retract the statement, but the central committee has made very clear its position on the issue. Nagamootoo had condemned the derecognition threat, and suggested that it be withdrawn. 

Nagamootoo had said he expected GuySuCo to rethink its options, and that GAWU would “prosecute all reasonable options to end the stalemate in the industry.” Nagamootoo pointed out that sugar workers have not been given a wage increase or bonus this year, and he noted that it would serve government well to explore all avenues for a salary package. 

“This year, sugar workers were given not a cent, either as wage increase or annual bonus, as GuySuCo did not achieve its set target. The workers were literally expected to ‘produce or perish,’ ” Nagamootoo stated. He expressed shock that government would condone this attack on GAWU and the sugar workers, and added that party leaders were in silent conspiracy with the outrage against the vanguard of the working class movement. 

Last Friday, President Jagdeo said that the government will not allow GuySuCo to derecognise GAWU. He made it clear that there will be ‘no derecognition of the GAWU’ by the GuySuCo under his administration. This announcement by the head of state had come just a few hours after GuySuCo had issued its threat, which the company said was a consequence of what it believes to be continued violations of the Collective Labour Agreement by the union. 

Jagdeo had said that he understood the frustration facing the board of directors of the sugar company, but he would not, at any point, allow derecognition to occur to the subject union. He also acknowledged that both GuySuCo and GAWU have been at loggerheads for some time.

On Monday, GuySuCo Chairman Dr Nanda Gopaul said the threat was no “prank”, but an industrial relations tactic. “It is a collective bargaining option in industrial relations which has been used.” However, Gopaul explained, the letter in no way served notice on GAWU regarding termination of the collective labour agreement.