To date Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) has failed to offer sugar workers any cost of living relief payment to supplement their disposable income. The Alliance for Change (AFC) fully understands that there are challenges in the industry but this does not vitiate the responsibility of the Jagdeo Administration to provide interim financial relief for workers, especially in an environment of dramatic increases in the prices of staple foods in Guyana.
2010 is a continuation of this legacy of the Jagdeo Administration of cutting the real income of the workers while a threat has been made against their Union. The AFC demands that this be remedied without delay and DEMANDS the following:
1. The Jagdeo Administration funds AN INFLATION BASED (about 5%) interim annual bonus on the 2010 salary of all sugar workers and other state workers as a one off payment to supplement their personal cost of living CRISIS.
2. The Jagdeo Administration appoint immediately an independent bi-partisan Sugar Industry Commission to accurately analyze the industry, its challenges, recommend short term and long term solution to stop the hemorrhaging in the industry and provide a report to the Parliament by the end of January 2011.
3. Appoint a brand new Board at GUYSUCO made up of independent, and competent private sector leaders, union representatives, experienced sugar technocrats and members of all parliamentary political parties to expertly implement the recommendation of the Sugar Industry Commission.
Sugar has consistently been the backbone of Guyana. Therefore, if sugar dies, the bauxite industry will suffer, the rice industry will suffer, the public service will suffer and all Guyanese will suffer.
The AFC will not stand idly by and allow any of our industry to be crucified by the Jagdeo Administration – bauxite, rice or sugar.
In a year when VAT collections were expected to increase by approx. G$2.7 billion, this unjust and unfair Jagdeo Administration prefers to divert those funds to his friends and political cronies rather than share the wealth with the workers.
At this time of goodwill, AFC recommits itself to the workers of Guyana, who are desperately poor and are looking for changes that will ensure a living wage and better communities.
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