Members of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Cooperative Credit Union Society Limited staged a peaceful picketing exercise across four sugar estates on October 12, demanding that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) remit outstanding workers’ savings deducted from their wages.
In a statement issued on October 13, the credit union said GuySuCo had been deducting savings from sugar workers’ weekly wages since March but had failed to transfer the money to the institution.
The union said the withheld funds belonged to workers who had set aside portions of their earnings to support their families and meet future expenses.
“These funds do not belong to the Corporation; they represent the hard-earned savings of workers, who sacrifice part of their wages week after week to save for their families’ future,” the credit union said.
According to the statement, GuySuCo management had made repeated commitments to settle the outstanding amounts but had not followed through. The credit union pointed to a written commitment dated August 27, 2026, under which the corporation reportedly agreed to pay 50 per cent of the arrears.
However, the organisation said no payment had been made under that commitment.
The credit union accused GuySuCo of continuing to withhold workers’ savings despite the promise, arguing that the failure to remit the money was creating financial hardship for affected employees.
Workers were reportedly being prevented from accessing funds they might need for school fees, medical expenses and basic household needs.
The dispute has also placed pressure on the credit union’s finances. The organisation said the continued withholding of the deductions had created a serious liquidity problem, threatening its ability to provide financial services to thousands of workers and their families.
Credit unions rely on members’ savings to support their operations and provide financial assistance to members. When deductions made from workers’ pay are not transferred as expected, members may be unable to access their savings, while the institution can face difficulties meeting its obligations.
The credit union called on GuySuCo’s management and board to immediately transfer the outstanding funds. It also appealed to the Minister of Agriculture and the Government of Guyana to intervene and ensure that the corporation fulfils its obligations.
“The continued withholding of these funds is unacceptable and is causing significant hardship,” the organisation said.
The matter appears to remain unresolved, with the credit union’s October 13 statement reporting that the promised payment had not been made and calling for urgent government intervention. The release did not indicate whether GuySuCo had responded to the latest protest or provided a new timeline for remitting the outstanding savings.
The statement also did not specify the total amount owed, the number of workers affected, or the exact sums due to the credit union.
GuySuCo, the state-owned sugar producer, operates sugar estates and employs workers across the industry. The dispute raises concerns about workers’ access to money deducted from their earnings and the timely transfer of those funds to the intended recipient.
The credit union maintained that the money represented workers’ personal savings and called for its immediate release.
