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…decision prompted by another strike – workersThe Wales Estate was ghost town yesterday The operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Wales Estate came to an abrupt end just after 07:00 hours yesterday when workers decided to take strike action in retaliation to management’s failure to pay them an 8.9 per cent Annual Production Incentive (API).The action came at a crucial time when management had ordered a steam trial at the factory. The steam trial is a test to determine if the factory is ready for a series of grinding slated for early Saturday morning.Speaking on behalf of his protesting colleagues, Gordon Thomas, a union representative,Robert Woods College Jersey, said that as a routine, when grinding time nears the factory is tested to identify any defects in order to have them rectified so that the grinding process is undertaken without incident.He noted that the workers,O.J. Simpson College Jersey, including officers of the entity, deliberately decided to walk off the job yesterday in an attempt to force management’s hand to pay the API it had agreed to pay since last year.In essence,Reggie Miller UCLA Jersey, Thomas said that workers represented by the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) and those represented by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) were a part of the strike action yesterday.Late yesterday,Robert Woods USC Jersey, the workers received word that the sugar corporation would be paying the incentive in instalments.The workers said that based on information from GAWU, the workers will be paid five per cent of the incentive within a month’s time,Matt Barkley USC Jersey, and the additional three per cent by mid-September. The remaining .9 per cent will go towards union funds.Thomas said that workers were anticipating a 12 per cent API during last year but the union was bent on paying nine per cent.The negotiations between the union and the management last year were deadlocked which saw the intervention of the Ministry of Labour.Under the chairmanship of Chief Labour Officer,Cheap USC Trojans Jerseys, Mohamed Akeel, the two sides agreed last November to an 8.79 per cent increase which,Brett Hundley College Jersey, according to Thomas, should have reached the workers’ pockets at the end of last month.And since management has opted to frustrate employees by not paying when assured, Thomas said that employees have in turn frustrated management when it would impact the most.In an invited comment yesterday afternoon, a senior official of the sugar company noted that the action engaged by the workers yesterday did not significantly impact the operation of the estate.The official said that the management of the estate had met with union representatives and a decision was taken to discontinue the strike action,Cheap UCLA Bruins Jerseys, thus the workers will be back on duty today to carry out the steam trial run at the factory.In this regard he said that cane will be burnt tomorrow,Ronnie Lott USC Jersey, allowing for grinding early Saturday morning. |
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