WIN Raises Alarm Over Unpaid Wages, Salary Cuts at Sugar Estates

The We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party, the main opposition in Parliament with 16 seats, has raised serious concerns over what it describes as non-payment of wages and salary reductions affecting workers at several state-owned sugar estates.

In a statement, WIN alleged that more than 60 workers attached to the Uitvlugt Sugar Estate have gone three months without receiving salaries. “Approximately 60 workers at various levels attached to Uitvlugt Estate have not received salaries for the past three months,” the party stated.

The party further claimed that senior management staff across the four operating estates — Uitvlugt, Albion, Blairmont and Rose Hall — have had their salaries significantly reduced. According to WIN, “Senior management staff across all four estates – Uitvlugt, Albion, Blairmont and Rose Hall – have had their salaries slashed by nearly $100,000.”

WIN also alleged that monies were deducted from senior staff, including previously announced wage increases of eight per cent for 2025 and nine per cent for 2026. “Workers believe they are being misled and taken advantage of regarding agreed wage adjustments. The PPP lied to the sugar workers yet again to trick them into voting for PPP,” the statement asserted.

The party questioned how affected employees are expected to cope amid rising living costs. “How are people expected to survive in this country without money when the cost of living is so high? People depend on their salaries to put food on the table and to provide for themselves and families,” WIN said.

WIN also criticised the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), stating that its head, Seepaul Narine, who also serves as a sitting Member of Parliament, has failed to adequately represent affected workers. The party argued that his “dual role raises concerns about a conflict of interest and whether sugar workers will ever receive independent and uncompromised representation under this government.”

Additionally, WIN claimed that at least two Uitvlugt Estate workers were “victimised and immediately removed from the union after standing up against these issues.”

The party called on Minister Zulfikar to “give immediate attention to the non-payment of wages and the reported unilateral salary reductions,” urging urgent intervention at the estates.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has continued to face financial challenges despite significant government support. In the 2026 national budget, the government allocated G$8.4 billion to assist with the corporation’s wages and salaries, as its annual wage bill remains substantially higher. Approximately 81 per cent of that allocation is earmarked for salaries, with the remainder designated for fuel, materials and services as part of a turnaround plan aimed at achieving profitability by 2030. Analysts argue that repeated bailouts and ongoing structural challenges — including outstanding obligations such as National Insurance contributions — highlight deeper sustainability concerns within the sector.

The government and GuySuCo have not publicly responded to the allegations.