would affect all of the GuySuCo workers

nice6boyt7

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has said that the entity fully supports the non-compliant action taken by factory representatives, who were reportedly asked by President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand, to resign from the union as a result of the strike action that was taken by workers of the Wales Estate.At a press conference held yesterday, General Secretary (ag) of the GTUC, Norman Witter said that the factory representatives were elected by the workers and should not resign.Witter is of the view that there seems to be a conspiracy by three unions to fleece the workers of their work entitlements. “Is this the industrial democracy that GAWU and FITUG preach?” Witter questioned.During a meeting between GAWU and the factory representatives on Tuesday, Komal Chand had asked the factory representatives — Gordon Thomas, Grafton Williams and Sultan Hussein — to resign from the union, as Chand noted that there cannot be a union within a union. However, the three factory representatives have indicated that they have no plans to resign.On February 4, workers of the Wales Estate had resorted to strike action in retaliation to management’s failure to pay them an 8.79% Annual Production Incentive (API).The action came at a critical time, when the management had ordered a steam trial at the factory.It was explained to this newspaper that the management had promised to pay the API since last year, but this was not done.Just after the strike action began, GAWU met with GuySuCo and the decision was taken that the workers would receive eight percent API, and the remaining 0.79 percent would be channelled through the union for worker’s educational activities. GAWU said that GuySuCo agreed to this.This move angered the sugar workers.Since this move caused some contention, the General Secretary of GAWU, Seepaul Narine noted he had dispatched a letter to the sugar company, advising them that since the move to use the 0.79 percent for worker’s educational activities had caused such contention amongst the workers, it would be better for the 0.79 percent API to remain with GuySuCo.This agreement, said Narine, would affect all of the GuySuCo workers, irrespective of which union represented them.According to the General Secretary of GAWU, the matter of the outstanding API has been resolved, with the workers receiving eight percent API: by means of five per cent of the incentive being paid within a month’s time, and the additional three per cent by mid-September.Thomas had previously said that the workers were anticipating a 12 percent API during last year, but the union was bent on paying nine percent.With the assistance of Chief Labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel, the two sides agreed to an 8.79 percent increase. Thomas said that this increase should have been given to workers by the end of last month.However, the workers turned out back to work on Tuesday after it was agreed that GAWU will consult with the General Council.