Government & Guysuco Fooling Workers

Dear Editor,
This has reference to your editorial on the failure of Guysuco (March 25). Guysuco is a failure. Under the previous administration, the government was upfront with the workers. Under this administration, workers are being fooled.

Politicians make all kinds of promises, but don’t deliver. They seek votes and once they get elected, they ignore the people who voted for them. The voters are fodder. Sugar workers, in particular, are fodder for the PPP to get into office. Once in office, the sugar workers and farmers are being left to their own devices for survival. Unfortunately, sugar workers and farmers, the base of the PPP, are taken for a ride since the passing of the Jagans.

The President Irfaan and Vice President Jagdeo administration promised to reopen the four closed sugar estates  and returned employment to the over 10K who lost their jobs and the 40K families tied to sugar – some 60K votes or the equivalent of eight seats to parliament – Plus another 50K families tied to sugar at the other three estates or an equivalent of another 10 seats in parliament. That commitment to reopen estates was also made during the election campaign and in the PPP manifesto. And the sugar workers voted 99% for PPP.

Since August, very few jobs were created at Guysuco. In fact, there may very well be a net loss in jobs since the change in administration in August because hundreds tied to sugar have lost employment since the PPP returned to government. There was some hiring in September at three sugar estates followed by some termination of staff. PPP has decided not to reopen Wales and to give away the 80K acres of land but not to sugar workers, the same position adopted by the previous government.

Guysuco is not hiring and is not renewing contracts of experienced staff; it is also terminating competent experts in agriculture particularly at Guysuco. Anyone who is honest and is a hard worker is being terminated. Unqualified staff, some known scamps are being recruited or brought back to provide services. Some who were charged for fraud are back at Agriculture and various Ministries. Skeldon and Enmore have virtually ceased operations as the land is being prepared to give away to Arab investors who plan to leverage it for loans for other businesses. Equipment from Skeldon and Enmore has been moved out with virtually nothing for the workers to do. No constructive work is being performed at either estate. Sugar workers are not fools; they know government plans to give the estates to friends. Nothing would be given to sugar workers as usual. Government only interested in their votes. Sugar workers would soon be informed of termination of employment.

Small businesses are being squeezed out by Guysuco. For decades, dozens of small business operators would purchase hundreds of bags sugar from Guysuco and supply stores. Not even under APNU led administration was there such bold face effort to stop supplying sugar to small businesses. Since the return of PPP, Guyusco has ceased selling sugar to these small suppliers, who have since joined the breadline. Poor souls have lost their only source of income; they voted 100% for PPP.

Guysuco is in negotiation with Namilco for the contract to supply sugar directly to the stores.  Namilco used to produce flour. Sase Singh, CEO of Guysuco, was once tied to Namilco in the early years of the PPP under then President Jagdeo. The former President would remember the flour saga quite well. It was under the Thunderbolt brand, that Mr. Jagdeo won’t forget. Perhaps the Vice President can expound on Thunderbolt flour and now sugar and Namilco. We can mix flour and sugar for sugar roti. Is that a no brainer also?

Former sugar workers are struggling to find employment. Those few hundred employed over two months are frustrated. Some are leaving for jobs at Nand Persaud and elsewhere for job security. Electricians and fitters have already left, sensing the PPP does not are for them. The sugar workers are fooled by this political administration that is using them for votes. They are very hurt by Guysuco management that is taking good financial care of pals.

In the meanwhile, management is hiring at office jobs – with salary exceeding $1.2 M monthly but no raises for field workers and there is a freeze in hiring at the estates. Sugar workers barely scrape through $80K monthly. Why can’t field workers who do the back breaking work also get $1.2 M a month? GAWU is silent. The mouth is silenced by a parliamentary seat. Can Guysuco explain what is the role of Mr. Fung and Mr. Charles Sugrim and how much they are being paid? Are they specialists in marketing and Accounting? What was their background and expertise in America before coming to Guyana? How many accountants and marketing specialists does Guysuco need? Don’t local Guyanese have those skills? When will the 10K sugar workers return to their jobs that will restore life to the 40K families?

Yours truly
Jagnarine S Kumar