Even as the highly indebted Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) said it did not have sufficient cash for day-to-day operations, the sugar producer promised faithfully to pay an estimated GUY$500 million Annual Production Incentive by mid-March and probe unrest at Blairmont in moves aimed at getting workers to call off strikes.

Authorities have appealed to workers at Blairmont, now on a nine-day old strike, to return to work immediately and pave the way for a Commission of Inquiry by the Ministry of Labour into their grievances about the Estate Manager and Agriculture Manager there.

“In the meantime, I would like to urge full resumption of work and allow for due process and a mechanism that is fair to everyone to prevail,” Labour Minister, Dr. Nankishore Gopaul told General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine in a February 21 letter.

The committee will comprise of Dr. Dale Bisnauth, Chairman, and Mr. Mohamed Akeel a Member with Mr. Deodat Sukhu, Industrial Relations Officer of Guysuco as Secretary.

GAWU President, Komal Chand and Narine could not be immediately reached by  Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com ) to ascertain whether they would heed the back-to-work call.

Gopaul said the probe would begin only after the workers return to work and the findings would be submitted to him three weeks after.

The more than week-long strike at Blairmont has already resulted in Guyana being unable to sell 250 tons of sugar to Trinidad and Tobago and in the process losing US$150,000 in earnings.

Guysuco’s financial condition has been also worsened by strikes at Rose Hall, Albion and Wales for the payment of an Annual Production Incentive.

A senior corporation official, the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy have all promised that the incentive would be paid on March 16. Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) was told that the payment would be made with sugar earnings from Europe.

The official explained that the delay was due to a late start of the first crop, inclement weather, some flooding and the inability to obtain working capital from a foreign bank to pay the incentive and debts.

Guysuco explained that its short term debt currently total GUY$8 billion and comprises amounts GUY$4.1 billion to local banks, GUY$3.2 billion to creditors and GUY$700 million in advances from customers.

“This is a significant amount owing and the Corporation is finding it very difficult to source additional short term financing to meet its working capital requirements,” said the corporation.

Guysuco appealed to workers to bear with the corporation during the “difficult financial period it is experiencing.”

“An improvement in the Corporation’s financial position is very much dependent on it producing sugar and then receiving cash from the sale of that sugar. 

Against the background of executive members of the Alliance For Change (AFC) interfacing with the striking sugar workers, the Agriculture Minister called on politicians to recognize the importance of due process.

“I urge the politicians who have attempted to gain influence from this situation to recognize that any action taken must follow due process,” said Ramsammy in a statement.