Millions to be paid out to sugar workers

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) has signed an agreement with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) that could result in more than 1,500 workers benefiting financially under an annual production incentive scheme.

Union officials said that the workers stand to benefit from a GUY$300 million (US$1.4 million) payout scheduled for February 25.

Government has already agreed to pay a five per cent wage hike retroactive to January 1, 2010. The incentive would be paid based on the production of 220,218 tonnes of sugar - the lowest production since 1991. Last year's target was 269,000 tonnes.

GAWU's president Komal Chand said that GUYSUCO was offering four days pay and the union was demanding six days but eventually they reached a compromise of five days.

GUYSUCO has blamed low production on rainy weather and industrial unrest, while the union has argued that the corporation has not done enough to improve plant husbandry and pay workers better so that they could have been motivated during last year.

Authorities have said that the corporation was suffering from a 40 per cent shortfall in labour, partly due to higher paying jobs in the construction sector.

- CMC