By Andrew Carmichael
Cane harvesters attached to the Rose Hall Estate, Providence on the East Bank Berbice, on Wednesday downed tools in protest over a proposed one per cent wage increase and also criticised their union – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) for being a “sell-out”. The workers represent almost half of the field workers attached to the estate.
They marched from Providence, chanting “One per cent can’t wuk” to New Amsterdam where they staged a picketing exercise in front of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/ C) New Amsterdam office. Police later cordoned off the area and diverted traffic as the workers demonstrated.
“P Gang” representative Carlton Austin told this publication they are dissatisfied with the increase offered to them. According to him, workers understand that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) might be cash-strapped, but in spite of this, it is still able to pay some of its managers huge salaries.
The workers’ representative added that the company also spent huge sums to pay auditors. He is of the opinion that the workers’ demand for an eight per cent wage increase is reasonable, given the fact that initially they were pushing for a 12 per cent increase.
Inadequate
Cane harvester Kurt Matthew Kaiu said the one per cent increase is inadequate, noting that the cost of living increases at a greater rate. “I bought a pound of milk for Gy$ 800 last night and Friday gone I paid Gy$ 760.”
He said like many other workers, he was not satisfied with the representation which they receive from GAWU. According to the cane harvester, some workers are paying union dues although they have not joined the union. “The union wait until the crop finish and then say that wages talk freeze and we have to accept a one per cent increase; that is not fair.”
He argued that GAWU President Komal Chan is a representative of the sugar workers and he is also a PPP/ C parliamentarian; therefore, he cannot adequately represent the workers in their best interest.
