Sugar workers down tools – call for a face to face talk with management and union

   More than 500 sugar workers from LBI Sugar Estate today down tools and staged a protest action at the Guyana Sugar Cooperation (GUYSUCO) LBI’s head office  calling on the management to look in to their plight. The agitated workers said their action came in the wake of a number of issues affecting them for a long time with no redress. They say cane cutters are not getting enough days work for the week. They are currently working two to three days per week. Other issues are low salaries and poor working conditions. The workers said only a few days ago when a worker finger got smashed between a machine, no doctor or vehicle were available at the estate to render assistance. They also complain that the union that represents the workers, GAWU, has not met with them to listen to what they have to say. GAWU head Komal Chand is occupying a seat for the ruling PPP/C in the national Assembly. Some of the workers claim that a turnaround plan that was outlined by the Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud last year when the Brand New Skeldon Sugar Plan was commissioned is not working and the sugar Industry is slowly collapsing.