Sugar workers protest proposed budget cuts PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 24 April 2012 23:38
SUGAR workers at several locations have downed tools in protest against the budgetary cuts proposed by the political Opposition. A statement from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said that following the tabling of almost similar motions by the two  opposition political parties – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) – in the National Assembly on Monday to debar the government from providing, among other things, G$6B to the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) in order to avoid a likely increase by 20% in electricity rates, sugar workers from seven estates of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) reacted by engaging in protest  yesterday.
According to GAWU, the factories at Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall, Blairmont and Enmore did not process any sugar since the workers stayed away from work. On all the Estates, a number of field workers also downed tools in support of the one day action.
The union also reported that some sugar workers, among others, also picketed the office of the AFC at Strand, New Amsterdam, Berbice yesterday morning.
Slogans included: ‘AFC/APNU betraying the working-class: AFC/APNU proposed Budget Cuts have betrayed working class - APNU/AFC want Guyanese to pay more for Electricity; $6 billion dollar electricity cut means higher electricity rates for Guyanese; Don’t discriminate against us – Granger and Ramjattan; and Budget cut means more poverty’.
The conclusion of the Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2012 is expected today when all Guyanese will be able to know the final outcome of any budget cuts.
GAWU said it takes the opportunity to call on the opposition political parties not to use their Parliamentary majority (of one seat) to jettison the objective of the budget which has sought to bring some relief especially to workers and pensioners.
 
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