CombatIssue#: 7 Volume#: 30 December, 2009Voice of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU)

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page One

STRUGGLING FOR PEACE AND GOODWILL

- AS A CHALLENGING 2009 ENDSFRONT PAGE COMMENT:

NO CHRISTMAS FOR US? “US” could be understood to mean the members of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) spe-cifically and the workers of Guyana, generally. The Christian Festival of Christmas permeates all groups of Guyanese, regardless of religion, ethnicity, cultural or political preferences. For those not Christian or even religious oriented, the year-end period is ap-propriate for renovation and rejuvenation. Homes are brightened up, exchange of gifts and tokens of love, ex-tra food and drink and much goodwill characterize the annual festive season. Alas! What a year-end it has turned out to be for GAWU’s and NAACIE’s sugar worker members, espe-cially. As the global economic all-year meltdown af-fected our own fragile economy and as the European price cuts bit deeply into Guyana sugar sector earnings, numerous acts of mis-management by Guysuco – dis-covered by both the unions and independent enquiries – combined to rob sugar workers of their just rewards. The year, therefore, ended with the miserly three per cent (3%) award by the Gobind Ganga Tribunal to the sugar sector employees. It is GAWU’s permanent opin-ion that the nation’s sugar workers are made the scape-goats for the failures of Guysuco’s management and for reduced production targets. Workers do not love going on strike to shorten their pay. The cane harvesters or weeders could not be blamed for any early fiascoes at the new Skeldon factory. Indeed, it is the productive labour of the small sugar workers which provide the super-salaries for too many managerial fat-cats. So our sugar-sector members have to make do with a diminished Christmas. But the Spirit and Hope of the season live on. No Corporation can extinguish our spirit and determination for social and economic justice. Continued on page seven

GAWU members picketing the Ministry of Finance

GAWU AT ARBITRATIONAND THE TRIBUNAL’S RESPONSE

The Arbitration Tribunal imposed by the Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir on 29th October, 2009 to enquire into the difference between the Guyana Sugar Corporation and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union with respect to wages and salaries for 2009, on 8th De-cember, 2009 presented its Report. The Tribunal recom-mended 3% across-the-board increase in pay retroactive to January 01, 2009 to be paid not later than the end of March, 2010. (See the Union’s response to the Tribunal Report elsewhere in this edition.) The Union through its advocate Dr Roodal Moonilal as-serted that Guysuco’s financial situation was a result of mismanagement for which workers should not be penal-ized through lower wages and salaries. He argued that output targets have kept falling every year since 2004 due to the unavailability of adequate cane to be harvested as

well as poor quality cane stifled by weeds. He contended that this is attributed to poor and unacceptable husband-ry practices. He went on to argue that working in the field and facto-ries is quite back breaking and given the nature of work as well as the role of the Corporation in the economy, sugar workers deserve to be treated fairly and in an equi-table manner like workers in the wider labour market. In particular, he claimed that sugar workers being produc-tive workers should not be given less wage and salary in-creases than that of government employees. He advanced the position that wage increase for its workers should be based on fairness, equity and social justice and workers must be granted an increase to maintain their standard of living and the increase must not be below the inflation rate. Continued on page two

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Two

GAWU AT ARBITRATIONAND THE TRIBUNAL’S RESPONSE

Continued from page one He emphasized the significant decline in real wages over the last five (5) years which saw workers real income de-clining by over ten (10) per cent since between 2004 and 2008. He alluded to the negative effects this would have on the welfare of the workers and their families and con-tended that adequate remuneration for workers will cer-tainly help to retain and motivate them to increase pro-duction and productivity. Guysuco argued that as a result of its current financial situation, it did not have the required financial resources in order to meet the Union’s demand of 10 percent. The Union contended that the poor financial situation was as a result of the mismanagement of the Corporation by Book-er-Tate and the continuing mismanagement. It referred to the Reports of the Uitvlugt Review Committee and Commission of Enquiry at East Demerara Estates which pointed to significant mismanagement of those Estates. Dr Moonilal pointed out that East Demerara and Uitvlugt Estates provided an insight of the situation across the in-dustry. The Corporation declared that it has experienced loss in revenue of approximately G$2.5B in 2009 as a con-sequence of price cuts being imposed by the European Union (EU). The Corporation, however, failed to disclose that notwithstanding thirty-six (36) per cent price-cut im-posed by the European Union, Guysuco’s average export price has not been on the decline. Instead, there has been an increase which undoubtedly is attributable to the ap-preciation of the Euro vis-à-vis the US dollar. The Tribunal in its report handed down on 8th December, 2009 noted that in 2010, Guysuco’s financial situation is uncertain as there is insufficient evidence to suggest that the situation will be any better than in 2009. Despite Guy-suco projecting a higher output level of 280,000 tonnes of sugar, the Tribunal stated that this may not result in an

substantial improvement in its financial position. The Tribunal found that Guysuco’s current expenditure is relatively high when compared to output and receipts after accounting for the high fuel and fertilizer price in-creases in 2007 and 2008. The Tribunal felt that the Cor-poration is not receiving value for its expenditure, not-withstanding the higher input cost and adverse weather conditions. For example, the Corporation recovery of cane per hectare has declined sharply while the use of fertil-izers has increased. In addition, there has been an in-crease in overgrown and cost of cleaning same while the use of chemicals has increased. The Tribunal stated that it believes that a large part of this can be explained by a sizeable level of inefficiency in the Corporation which is a consequence of poor governance and is estimated to be costing Guysuco in excess of G$3B annually. The Tribunal stated that although Guysuco is cash strapped with accumulated debt of approximately G$13B by end of 2009, it can be steered on the path of recovery to overcome its financial problems and be a viable and sus-tainable industry in the near future. The Tribunal felt that field and factory workers should, at the very least, be compensated for the nature of the work they do and the increase in cost of living to maintain their real wages felt that the award should be based on the four principles of fairness, equity, social justice and com-promise. However, believes that Guysuco is in a precari-ous financial situation with declining receipts from lower output and EU price cut as well as inability to borrow from the local banking system. The Tribunal believes that the welfare of employees depends on the viability of the Corporation and the latter should not be unduly burdened given its current financial situation of almost G$13 billion indebtedness and the need to acquire resources. The Arbitration Panel comprised Dr. Gobind Ganga, So-nya Roopnauth and Yog Mahadeo

A CLASSIC CASE OF MANIPULATION Sugar workers at Rose Hall Estate were provoked to take strike action, which they did on 22nd and 23rd November, 2009 crippling the field and factory opera-tions on the estate. The Management of the Estate early on (Saturday) 21st November, 2009 declared that the workers were qualified for a tax free incentive of one (1) day’s pay having exceeded the week’s production target of 1,350 tonnes sugar.

The daily production recorded on the Estate’s Notice Board was as follows:-

14th November - 198 tonnes15th November - 181 tonnes16th November - 106 tonnes17th November - 225 tonnes18th November - 201 tonnes19th November - 214 tonnes20th November - 227 tonnesTotal - 1,352tonnes

It is understood a few hours after the declaration a senior Guysuco official visited the Estate and after ex-amining the numbers for some minutes, deemed that the Estate failed to achieve its target by 17 tonnes.

The Estate Manager at a meeting with the represen-tatives from the cane harvesting gangs informed them that the day’s pay would be no longer paid.

The workers rightfully feared that their legitimate day’s pay seized from them might not be restored and resorted to strike action.

At a meeting between the Union and the Corporation on 23rd November, 2009 the Corporation informed the Union that it would undertake a forensic audit of the Es-tate’s Production from the beginning of the second crop on 24th July, 2009 to determine whether or not the Es-tate had achieved its target and promised to make the findings available to the Union on 30th November, 2009 or before and requested the workers end the strike. The Union had no doubt that the target was achieved and rejected the Corporation’s proposal. The Union advised the Corporation that further procrastination in restor-ing the day’s pay would cause the strike to continue un-necessarily.

A few hours after the meeting concluded the Corpora-tion, by telephone, informed the Union that the day’s pay would be restored and later wrote the Union by let-ter dated 23rd November, 2009 stating inter alia – “Dur-ing the course of today the figures were further scruti-nized and it was revealed that the target was marginally exceeded and on that basis the Award is hereby made.”

Often workers are criticized to resorting to industrial action. The Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guysuco) always seeks to exonerate itself from creating, aiding and abetting the conditions for workers to embark on industrial action/s.

Here is a classic example of manipulation by the Cor-poration to deprive almost 3,000 workers of about G$7M of hard earned incentive.

Nowondersomeobservershavecomparedsomemoderndayattitudesbythesugarbossesasremi-niscentofthecolonialplantocracy.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERSBerbice River Bridge Company Inc - GAWU’s newest Bargaining Unit

After some workers from the Berbice River Bridge Com-pany Inc (BBCI) sought to become members of the Guy-ana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) last July, the Union began enlisting them into its membership. On completion, the Union applied to the Trade Union Rec-ognition and Certification Board (TURCB) to become the workers’ bargaining agent. The Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board conducted a survey to verify if the Union did enjoy the req-uisite support of the workers. On 30th November, 2009 the TURCB certified the Union as the bargaining agent on behalf of the Bridge employees there. The Union and the BBCI are to approve a Recognition and Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes Agreement which will govern the conduct of relationship between the Union and the Company. Thereafter, the Union, after fully

ascertaining the worker’s proposals which they would wish to constitute the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), would submit the approved proposals to the Company for the parties to negotiate. The proposals/amend-ed proposals, approved by the parties, will constitute the CLA. The Union looks forward to having a fruit-ful and productive relationship with BCCI and hope that within the shortest possible time the Recognition and Collective Labour Agreement would be in place. BBCI, which employs some 40 employees, came into being with the construction of the Berbice River Bridge which was commis-sioned by President Bharrat Jagdeo on 23rd December, 2008.

The 1.5 kilometre bridge, a public and a consortium of private companies, is said to be the sixth longest floating bridge in the world and stretches from D’Edward Village on the Western bank of the Berbice River to Crab Island on the eastern side of the river. The Bridge was constructed at a cost of US$43M (G$8.8B) and consists of 39 pontoons as well as 78 anchors. It is owned and managed by the BBCI and following a conces-sionary period of 21 years, it would be transferred to the Government of Guyana. It will operate under a toll basis that should generate sufficient revenue to cover its oper-ating and maintenance costs while providing a return in-vestment to its shareholders. GAWUwelcomesitsnew-estmembersintoitsfoldandpromisestobevigilantinpromotingtheworkers’rightsandinterests.

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Three

FITUG: Dismayed by Arbitration Award The trade union majority grouping, FITUG – the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana – is totally dismayed and disappointed over the Gobind Ganga Arbitral Award which recently “recom-mended” with respect to 2009 a paltry pay increase of three (3) per cent, noting after tax deduction the increase will degenerate to two (2) per cent for the nation’s 19,000 unionised sugar workers. FITUG is not unmindful of Guysuco’s fi-nancial challenges in the midst of man-agement’s abysmal failure to maintain sugar production at least to the 300, 000 tonnes level, its leading affiliate, the Guy-ana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has enumerated a long list of instances of mis-management which the union submitted in its Memorandum to the Gobind Ganga Arbitration Tribunal. FITUG has seen the indications of mis-

management which in turn, were recorded in two separate Reports, one by the Com-mission of Enquiry into the East Demerara Estates and another by a Review Commit-tee (in 2007) which investigated the Uitv-lugt Estate. Those two (2) reports provide an insight of the sad reality within the en-tire industry. Sugar workers could never be blamed for Guysuco’s mis-management which even-tually saps workers’ morale and influences the inability to meet targets. It is a pity that the recent tribunal bought, seemingly hook, line and sinker, the Corporation’s lament of “financial difficulties” as if that status was solely the fault of the strug-gling, but faithful, hard working, produc-tive sugar workers. FITUG notes the very recent remarks of its own General Secretary, Cde Kenneth Jo-seph who, whilst speaking on behalf of his

own union, observed that the Guyana Sug-ar Corporation is routinely and unilater-ally breaching previous and current stand-ing agreements with the sugar unions and that the government is announcing infla-tion rates that are LESS than what actually prevails. FITUG views these developments as a serious breach of faith with the na-tion’s workers. With respect to sugar workers specifi-cally, the FITUG is amazed at Guysuco re-cently claimed “cash flow problem” as a reason for not paying its employees for week-ending December 05, 2009. They were paid three (3) days later. The unions’ also note Guysuco’s much vaunted “turn-around” plan which catered for an in-crease in wages for 2009 at between four and five per cent, if a certain production target had been met. The current short-fall is marginal from the Corporation’s original

end of year target. Surely a sensitive em-ployer, mindful of the good and welfare of its workers, would have voluntarily paid at least the budgeted increase. Sugar workers, like Public Servants and other employees, are certainly entitled to spend a comfortable festive season, after a hard year’s toil. They too, also have to send their children to the new school term in January. They can never look forward to any lavish celebration which the top ech-elon of the sugar industry can certainly af-ford. FITUG, however, invites Guysuco, itsBoardanditsCEO,tobesensitivetoitsemployees’ needs, more especially atthis time of the year. Pay theworkersthe measly award granted, as well astheirusualincentives,immediately!

ADVANCING OUR CASE AT ARBITRATIONExcerpts from our Memorandum

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in advancing its case at Arbitration to enquire into the difference between the Guyana Sugar Corporation and the Guyana Agricul-tural and General Workers’ Union with respect to wages and salaries for 2009, among other things, presented at the onset a twenty (20) page Memorandum to Members of the Tribunal. Below we excerpt some noteworthy points from the memorandum. “The Corporation must ensure that workers are treated fairly and receive decent terms and conditions of work, if they are to remain in sugar production

and promote our premier ag-ricultural enterprise. The high turnover in the sugar indus-try is noticeable Poor pay and harsh working conditions have contributed to the migration of agricultural workers from the rural fields to the towns and cities and in lower skill in-dustrial occupations in Guyana and within the wider Caricom region. The agricultural sector and the sugar industry in par-ticular are critical for Guyana to realize its national develop-mental goals. In this regard a productive, fairly compensated and highly motivated work-force is imperative for the sec-tor. The industry recovered and progressed well from 1992 to 2004. In order to arrest the decline of the industry and to restore production firstly to over 200,000 tonnes per year

then later to 300,000 tonnes per year, the industry, it ought to be recalled in the early 1990’s, granted significant wage increases to attract an adequate workforce. In 1990 and 1991, wages increased by 75 per cent and 110 per cent respectively. In 1990 the increases were:- 10 per cent from 1st January to 31st May; 15 per cent from 1st June to 30th September and 50 per cent from 1st October to 28th February, 1990. In 1991 the increases were:- 75 per cent from 1st March to 30th September and 35 per cent from 1st October to 31st De-cember The industry was rehabilitated rap-

idly and by 1992 it produced 243,010 tonnes and between 2002 and 2004 the production averaged 320,000 tonnes. THE GUYANA SUGAR CORPORATIONINC MUST NOT KILL THE GOOSETHAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. Inad-equate wage increases will again cause a dwindling labour pool and low morale and productivity from the hitherto pro-ductive workforce.” “The slash in the EU price by thirty six (36) per cent, however, is only one side of the tale. The Enmore packag-ing plant which according to Guysuco’s Chief Executive Officer, which will be operational by February, 2011, will be constructed through a US$12M grant from the EU that was made available through Guyana’s MultiAnnualAdap-tation Strategy (MAAS) also knownasourNationalActionPlan.Guysuco related projects in the PLAN account for seventy six (76) per cent of the total unfunded expenditure of the MAAS. The Union contends that the industry ought to receive seventy-six (76) per cent of the total grants received from the EU arising out of the MAAS. Sofarfortheyears2006,2007and2008,theGuy-ana Government has been allocated€88.7M (G$26.7B) in keeping withthePlan.Therefore,basedontheEUdisbursementofthissum(G$26.7B),the Government of Guyana ought torelease G$20.3B to the sugar indus-try.The support to the industry by the EU funding will significantly assist the industry to overcome the setbacks it suffered over the past years and put it on the path to its once again bright fu-ture.” “The demand for a respectful wage

increase is within reach. Government spokesmen have correctly and repeat-edly observed that the global financial and economic meltdown has in a little way affected our economy and it has been repeatedly stated there would be a wage increase for public sector em-ployees. In other countries, bailout and stimulus packages have rescued many enterprises, and thus, millions of work-ers. Similarly, the sugar industry in this moment needs support lest the Turn-around Plan becomes stillborn. Sugar’scontribution to the Treasury in thesumof$34Bbywayofthecontrover-sialSugarLevyshouldremindallthatsupporttothesugarindustrycanbeexplained from even a moral back-ground.EveryoneseesthewisdomtosupportfinanciallytheGuyanaPowerandLight,theGuyanaWaterInc,theimminentfinancialsupporttoahostofclientsofthecollapsedCLICO(Guy-ana)Limitedandsupporttothebusi-nesssector,etc.Supporttothesugarindustrygenerallyanditsworkforcein particular should be positivelyconsidered.Therearegoodgroundsfor this.Really, it isamatterofpro-tectingtheworkers’welfareand, in-deed,anindustry’ssurvival.” “In the words of Guysuco, “Does the Sugar Industry die now? Does it die painfully in three years? Or do we con-front the realities together and work to ensure successful the implementation of the Turnaround Plan.” The workers and the Union have already pledged to work for the successful implementation of the Plan. The Union calls upon the Corpora-tion to keep the workers on Board.”

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Four

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A “STRONGER” IMF AND WORLD BANK CONTRIBUTES TO EXACERBATING THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISISThreat to Peoples of both the South and North

The annual meetings of the IMF and of the World Bank in Istanbul ended in a climate of repression. For the second consecutive day, the 10,000 police-men who had been called upon for the occasion used water cannons, tear gas and tanks against demon-strators. The same scenario had been played out at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, where demonstra-tions against this G8 substitute were also violently repressed by police forces. The IMF and the WB held these controversial meetings only days after the G20’s decision to change the voting rights within these two institutions: 5% of the IMF quotas and 3% of the voting rights at the WB assembly are to be transferred to emerging and developing countries by January 2011. The current voting system was chal-lenged both by countries of the South and by social movements: it relies on the “1 dollar = one vote” rule, contrary to the UN General Assembly where each country has only one vote.

For the IMF’s Managing Director, the French so-cialist Dominique Strauss-Kahn, these are “historic decisions”. Yet for CADTM, this is but a grim joke. In-deed, this modification does not change the power relationships within the two institutions at all. For instance, China, one of the main beneficiaries of the change, now has about 3% of the voting rights, far behind the United States, which holds over 16%, giv-ing it de facto veto power on all major decisions. The Rwanda group, representing 24 Subsaharan African countries and some 225 million people, holds 1.39

% of the voting rights! No need to be a keen math-ematician to understand that these media-hyped pseudo-reforms will not turn the IMF and the WB into democratic organisations. Can they ever be-come democratic considering that the present sys-tem cannot be changed without the US’s consent? To make things worse, since 1944, according to a tacit agreement, the WB’s President has always been a US citizen while the director of the IMF has always been a European. Such power-sharing combined with a deeply antidemocratic allocation of voting rights is evidence that the IMF and the WB are tools in the hands of Western powers in order to impose self-serving policies upon the rest of the world.

After a severe crisis of legitimacy the WB and the IMF have been given a new lease of life thanks to the global crisis. From 2004 to 2008, a significant rise in commodity prices increased the currency reserves of some developing countries, which could then re-pay their debts to these creditors in advance and thus shake off their cumbersome guardianship. But since the end of 2008, the global crisis has radically changed the situation. The list of badly hit countries keeps getting longer and the G20 has restored the IMF and the WB as key actors in the global game. Romania yielded to IMF pressure and implemented anti-welfare policies such as a 15% cut in civil ser-vants’ incomes, in order to receive a loan to deal with short-term emergencies. The same has occurred in about fifteen countries since 2008. The World Bank

has benefited from the environment crisis by setting set up several climate investment funds, though it continues to finance deforestation and mining projects. Over the course of 2008, funds for clean energy were five times lower than those dedicated to non-renewable energy, the amount of which rose by over 165%.

Next, the G20, a self-proclaimed global regula-tion authority, played a decisive part in the at-tempt to restore the IMF’s legitimacy as it trebled the resources made available to this institution at the London summit last April and enlarged its missions as an outcome of the Pittsburgh summit. The IMF has thus been placed at the heart of ef-forts to monitor the global economy “to promote international financial stability and to strengthen economic growth”. At the Istanbul summit it was decided to “reassess the IMF’s mandate to include all macroeconomic policies and policies related to the financial industry that influence global eco-nomic stability.” It will thus have to “recommend economic policies to countries, which will have to take adapted corrective measures”. It’s easy to guess what the IMF’s recommendations will be. In June 2009 the IMF commented on policies im-plemented in the Euro zone: “measures taken to support shorter working hours and raise social benefits—while important to shore up incomes and keep the labour force attached to the labour market—should have built-in reversibility”. The WB report “Doing Business 2010” is even more explicit since it warns countries against social protection programmes and calls governments

that develop them ‘anti-competitive’. In spite of its repeated failures, the Washington Consensus, a kind of code for neoliberalism, still is the IMF’s and the WB’s tall order to countries that ask for their ‘help’.

Yet the failure of structural adjustment policies im-plemented in countries of the South since the 1982 debt crisis should have been sufficient to censure them: poverty and inequalities have grown while the issue of debt is anything but solved. Worse still, a new crisis of debt is brewing, which will increase the proportion of national budgets dedicated to repay-ing creditors. This will happen unless governments decide to suspend payment so as to meet fundamen-tal human needs and to launch a large-scale audit of their debts in order to unconditionally cancel the illegitimate portion of them, which did not benefit the people. An audit of this kind would be a first and crucial challenge to the grizzly policies enforced by the IMF and the WB. We must now demand that they be replaced by institutions that truly care for the people’s interest.

TheauthorsaremembersoftheCADTMinterna-tionalnetwork(CommitteefortheCancellationofThirdWorldDebt)

Protestors outside the IMF and World Bank meetings in Istanbul, Turkey

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Five

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A LETTER TO PRESIDENTS OF THE HEMISPHEREBy Manuel Zelaya Rosales, President of Honduras

TO:HonorablePresidentsNationsofAmérica

Dear Presidents,

I write you in my role as President of Honduras, valu-ing the excellent relations between our countries and in defense of the democracy violated in Honduras as conse-quence of the Military Coup d’Etat perpetrated June 28 of this year, when soldiers invaded my home and at gunpoint kidnapped and took me to Costa Rica.

The National Congress forged my resignation letter and, abusing its power, emitted an illegal decree which “sepa-rated me from the charge of Constitutional President” without Constitutional backing to do so. The same was the case for the arrest order that the Court had emitted with-out having received any legal complain and without my having been cited to appear before any tribunal or trial. It has been condemned and described by all the countries of the world as a violent and surprising rupture of demo-cratic order, a Military Coup d’Etat.

At this moment in Honduras we are in a de facto State. There is no Constitution. Nor are there Constitutional powers because they have been destroyed by force by the military Coup d’Etat on that ominous day of June 28, 2009.

The Constitution of the Republic establishes in Article 3: “No one owes obedience to an usurper government, nor to those who occupy public positions or jobs by the force of weapons or using means or procedures that bankrupt or fail to recognize what the Constitution and the law estab-lishes. Those actions by so-called authorities are null and

void. The people have the right to insurrec-tion to defend the Constitutional order.”

In reading that article, you can understand that the Honduran people are legally em-powered to act using all means, styles and forms that they consider necessary to re-store democracy. We have consciously taken the path of peaceful resistance, with the goal of establishing noncooperation and nonvio-lence like methods of civil disobedience and twenty-first century popular struggle against the rise of military force.

We thank the entire international commu-nity for your support for our labor to recon-struct the State of Law, that being the last effort of the poorly reached Tegucigalpa-San José Accord, backed by the OAS and the US Department of State. Its letter and spirit has as its proposal the “return of the title the ex-ecutive branch to what it was prior to June 28.” And it was openly violated by the de fac-to regime which in which Mr. Micheletti pre-tends to head a government of reconciliation, refusing to convene the National Congress, in definitive noncompliance of the timeline and text.

Now, unilaterally, he seeks to utilize the aborted accord by convening the National Congress on December 2, a date upon which the political actors of the accord will have been substantially modified, in the sense that by then they will have already been submit-ted to the opinion ofthe voters without hav-ing restored Constitutional order.

The elections of November 29 and their use of public funds under a de facto regime, without having previously restored democracy and the State of Law as OAS and UN resolutions demand, without even having installed the government of unity and reconciliation, are illegal, illegitimate, and constitute a criminal act.

At the moment that the de facto regime with its soldiers convenes a spurious electoral process under repression, without legal guarantees, and without a political agree-ment, in which the military dictatorship is the guarantor of the law, it only strengthens its actions of force and im-punity.

Precisely today, Channel 36, property of journalist Esdras Amado López, the only television chain that has opposed the regime, has had its signal blocked and taken off the air by the dictatorship.

The de facto regime has frontally disregarded the reso-lutions of the OAS, the UN and the European Union. It has also violated the Democratic Charter of the OAS and its resolutions while some of Honduras’ friends among coun-tries demonstrate ambiguity and support for the electoral process without having restored democratic order and without political dialogue. That permits the de facto re-gime to impose its will by force.

As President of Honduras, I communicate with you to say that below these conditions I will not back the elec-toral process and will proceed to challenge it legally in the name of the men and women of my country and of hundreds of community leaders that suffer the loss of de-

mocracy, the repression, the unfair circumstances and the suppression of freedom.

These elections have to be annulled and rescheduled to when the sovereign will of the people is respected.

In these difficult moments for our brother countries of América, we ask for your solidarity with Honduras.

• That you accompany us based on the facts that you know, reiterating the position of not supporting a unilateral intent to give validity to an accord that was quickly rescinded by the violations consummated by the dictatorship.

• Reaffirming the condemnation of the coup d’etat of the military State and not supporting a de facto re-gime whose existence today shames all the peoples of Latin América Latina, that after all the attempts by the international community to reverse the coup d’etat have ended in a total failure for everyone.

• Appealing to maintain your firmness in the execution of the resolutions passed by the OAS and the UN and not adopting ambiguous and imprecise positions like those displayed today by the government of the Unit-ed States of America, with whose final posture has weakened the process of reversing the coup d’etat, demonstrating division in the international commu-nity. By feeding this coup d’etat the democratic secu-rity in the hemisphere and the stability of the Presi-dents of América is put at risk, with the resurgence of military castes over civil authority. Legitimizing coups d’etat by means of spurious electoral processes divides and does not contribute to the unity of the na-tions of América.

• I ask for your cooperation so that this Military Coup d’Etat its bloody violations of human rights do not go unpunished. Already, the International Criminal Court has received complaints and allowed them to proceed to trial to obtain justice for our people and apply the corresponding sanctions to those who com-mitted treason to the Nation and crimes against hu-manity in Honduras.

• We voice our energetic rejection of those who support the maneuvers to launder the coup d’etat, covering up for the golpistas to leave their crimes protected.

• With our full attention, we invite all the nations to recognize our government and that they abstain from supporting the actions of the illegal regime that usurped power by force of weapons.

• We cordially demand and exhort your representatives to the OAS and the UN to continue defending and sup-porting the rights of the people and of the legitimately elected governments, since when one of our nations suffers an assault it is an affront to all América; and, each time a government elected by the peoples of América is toppled, violence and terrorism win and Democracy suffers a defeat.

In wait of your response, I appreciate the invaluable sup-port demonstrated until now for these principles and I send you greetings reiterating my esteem and my highest consideration.

JOSEMANUELZELAYAROSALESPresidentoftheRepublicofHonduras

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Six

SILWFC EMPLOYEES TAKE PROTEST ACTIONDEMANDING IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENT

The twenty (20) employee workforce of the Sugar In-dustry Labour Welfare Fund Committee (SILWFC) repre-sented by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) staged a protest and picketing exercise on 7th December, 2009 outside of the headquarters of SILWFC in Barrack Street, Kingston and the Ministry of Labour, Human Service and Social Security in Water and Cornhill Streets. The employees were demanding the implementation of an agreement reached between the Management and the Union, seven (7) months ago in May, 2009 be imple-mented. The agreement provides for a nine (9) per cent wage/salary increase to all employees up to the level of Senior Clerk and eight (8) per cent for those above the

level of Senior Clerk as well as increasing the cycle allowance from $1,800 to $2,300 per month, Christmas Bonus for employees up to the level of senior clerk from $25,000 to $28,000 and above senior clerk from $30,000 to $35,000, shoe allowance from $4,500 to $5,000 per year and meal allow-ances were increased as follows:-

Lunch from $654 to $706Up to 2 hours overtime from $361 to $390In excess of 4 hours overtime $654 to $706

Reminders in writing and phone calls to get their new rates of pay retroactive to 1st January, 2009 honoured were of no avail. Clearly the Chairman, Dr Dindyal Permaul, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and the some of members of the Committee were seeking seemingly to renege on the agreement. The three (3)

Trade Unionists on the Committee Cde Rooplall Persaud from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Cde Carvil Duncan from the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and Cde Kenneth Joseph from the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) were supporting GAWU and the em-ployees to have the agreement implemented. The three (3) representatives from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco), the representative from the Ministry of Labour and the Chairman apparently did not want to honour the agreement. During the course of the picketing exercise outside the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security

for a few minutes, Minister Manzoor Nadir invited GAWU President Komal Chand who was accompanied by Cdes Seepaul Narine and Derek Thakur, General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary respectively of GAWU to meet with him in his office. The Minister apologized to the Union after he was furnished with a copy of the Agree-ment and he said that there was no doubt that it was a proper Agreement. Despite the Minister’s pronouncement the Agreement was not implemented. The Union caused four (4) mem-bers to summon a Special Meeting of the Committee which took place on (Sunday) 13th December, 2009 to discuss the non-implementation of the Agreement and the Union got Attorney-at-Law Ashton Chase to write the Commit-tee giving it ten (10) days during which to implement the agreement following which there will be recourse through the Courts. At the meeting of the Committee on 13th De-cember, 2009 which lasted for about three (3) hours by a vote of 5 to 3 it was decided that the Committee should secure its own legal advice. The Committee was advised by its legal advisors, Camer-on and Shepherd on 15th December, 2009 that the Agree-ment between the Union and the Management of SILWFC was valid hence its implementation. The Committee met on 16th December, 2009 and decided to implement the Agreement with effect from (Friday) 18th December, 2009. On that date the employees received their retro-active payments of eight (8) and nine (9) per cent to 1st January, 2009 and the implementation of the new rates of pay and other benefits agreed to. It was an unnecessary struggle by the Union and the workers. Considerable time and effort were spent in the protests, etc. Are the days returning when workers and their Unions are targeted? GAWU seemingly is targeted.

AMICABLE NEGOTIATIONS AND RESULTSDemeraraDistillersLimited The Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and the three (3) bargaining unions – the Guyana Agricultur-al and General Workers Union (GAWU), the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and the Clerical and Commer-cial Workers Union (CCWU) signed an agreement on 20th November, 2009 highlighting the wage/salary increase of the Company’s employees retroactive to 1st January, 2009. The time-rated employees are placed in five (5) groups after an evaluation of their year’s perfor-mance. Their wage hike ranges from five (5) per cent to nine (9) per cent as follows:-

OverallPerformanceRating

WageIncrease

A 9%B 8%C 7%D 5%

Based on employees’ adjustment performance rat-ing their increases in pay would be as follows:

SalaryScale

Band1 $38,974 - $81,244Band2 $41,805 - $89,369Band3 $46,049 - $101,555Band4 $50,483 - $118,965

Band5 $56,211 - $133,473 The Company’s 20 piece rated employees are to re-ceive 7.5 per cent increase. There was also an outstanding dispute with respect to a four (4) per cent wage/salary adjustment for 2007 when the inflation rate was fourteen (14) per cent. The parties also agreed to resolve this dispute with workers receiving food vouchers as follows:-

Band 5 - $42,000Band 3 & 4 - $37.000Band 1 & 2 - $32,000

The Unions and the Management of DDL have planned to commence negotiations early next year to consider the Unions’ fringe claims and wage hike for year 2010.

NobleHouseSeafoodsLimited The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Management of Noble House Seafoods Limited reached an agreement for wage/salary increase for 2009. According to the agreement workers will receive four (4) per cent across-the-board increase. In addition they will receive three (3) per cent of their wages as an incentive every month on the attainment of the set target as follows:-April, 2009 - 646,522 poundsMay, 2009 - 575,652 poundsJune , 2009 - 532,174 pounds

July, 2009 - 656,261 poundsAugust, 2009 - 355,652 poundsSeptember, 2009 - Closed SeasonOctober, 2009 - 348,696 poundsNovember, 2009 - 583,478 poundsDecember, 2009 - 586,522 poundsJanuary, 2010 - 663,913 poundsFebruary, 2010 - 551,304 poundsMarch, 2010 - 570,435 pounds

Where the target is achieved between 90 and 95 per cent - one (1) per cent would be awarded, for 96 to 100 per cent achievement two (2) per cent and over 100 per cent three (3) per cent.

DemeraraTimbersLimited The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU and the Demerara Timbers Limited on 1st December, 2009 reached an agreement for 5.5 per cent to be paid across-the-board to workers in the Union’s bargaining unit with effect from January 01, 2009 under the Chairmanship of the Ministry of Labour. The Company did not want to have increases in meals and station allowances and night premium as requested by the Union. The Union, not wanting to delay the implementa-tion of the wage increase, signed an Agreement with the Company at the Ministry of Labour to defer fur-ther negotiations on the fringe claims until February 15, 2010 through a signed Agreement.

COMBAT: December, 2009 Page Seven

EXAMINATION AND EXPOSURE: Guysuco’s MismanagementContinuedfromlastedition

EastDemeraraEstates

A ministerial appointed Commission of Enquiry, in 2008, comprising Cde Vic Oditt (Chairman), Cdes Aslim Singh and Abrahim Nagamootoo (GAWU Representatives), Cdes Nandalall Harriprashad and Rollingston Robinson (Guy-suco Representatives) in its Report on the performance of East Demerara Estates, found that cane fields, just a stone’s throw away from Guysuco’s Head Office, where the CEO and other senior functionaries are located, had had sparse cane growth, significant weed infestation and poor drainage. Note below some of the revelations made by the Com-mission of Enquiry:-

Re:EnmoreEstateWeatherPage Sixteen (16)

“It is a fact that rainfall does have an effect on the timeli-ness of follow-up operations. However, this is not a new phenomenon; it is very much related to the management and utilization of available resources. Since the flood in 2005, Enmore has done well to recover from the disaster, despite continuous rainfall as shown below:-

Year Rainfall(mm)

Tc/Ha

2002 1263 832003 1506 712004 1614 732005 2426 642006 2333 69

2007 2424 722008 ytd we 01/11/08 2297 56

It is in the Team’s view that the flood and weather should not be used indiscriminately to conceal the real maladies of the Estate.”

Water ManagementPages Sixteen (16) & Seventeen (17)

“The Enquiry Team found that while the navigation sys-tem generally appeared to be in a good state, they were some were areas observed to be in a very poor state. Re-vetments and sluices were noticeably absent and poor where present although they are prerequisites for proper water management. Visits to the cultivation revealed that there was poor drainage, both infield and externally. Sidelines were found to be heavily silted. Attention must be paid to the design profiles that were done by Jimmy Singh, the then hydrau-lic engineer in 1978. The Enquiry Team was reliably informed that the rec-ommended design profile for draining the cultivation has not been reviewed at least since 2000. Since the country has been experiencing prolonged and intensive rainfall over the last few years, it would have been prudent for the drainage network to have been addressed fully. The buzz words now being used are “perched water table” (some-thing unheard of in the past) while the drainage network is below required standards. The majority of the team cat-egorically rejects this concept as being applicable to East Demerara Estates and to the Industry. The Management representatives held a dissenting view to this position. The ARC Director in an email sent to a team member indicated that neither Enmore nor LBI had any peizom-eter wells installed, when data taken from the peizometer

wells on the estate was requested. Two (2) such wells were, however, found in the Enmore cultivation. The pumps were found to be another area of major con-cern. At the Good Hope pump station these pumps have not been serviced since installation (reported by the op-erators and verified by the Log Book). The engines have clocked 11856 and 11081 hours to-date for the # 1 and # 2 pumps respectively. There was also evidence of oil leaks on the engines and the pump house is leaning. The Annandale Pumps were also observed to have oil leaks. The # 1 has clocked 7375 hours to-date while the # 2 has achieved 9098 hours. The #2 pump has been with-out an alternator for over six months rendering it inoper-able. Also, the step leading to the strainer has deteriorated considerably and is in danger of collapsing, possibly re-sulting in serious injury.”

Maintenance of Field Infrastructure – Dams and BridgesPage Seventeen (17)

“The Team observed that infrastructure was in a terrible state owing to lack of capital. Bridges were observed to be varying states of disrepair including the permanent concrete bridges which require routine maintenance. The dams were in a reasonable state but were reported to be impassable during the rainy season.”

Pilferage/Hemorrhaging of Field Resources and Inputs such as Fertilizers and PesticidesPage Eighteen (18)“The Enquiry Team is of the opinion that the system of checks and balances as it relates to inputs has deficien-cies. Custodians of these items must be held accountable. Management must also be present when these inputs are applied in the field to ensure correct application and us-age.”

Continuedinnextedition

Credit Union declares $15M surplus in 2008

16th AGM HELD The 1 6 t h A n n u a l General Meeting of the G uya n a A g r i -cultural a n d General W o r k -ers’ Co-o p e r a -

tive Credit Union Society was held on 6th December, 2009 at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown with an atten-dance of over 300 members. Members were elated at the Auditor’s Report which re-vealed that the Society’s surplus for last year (2008), to-talled fifteen million two hundred and ten thousand three hundred and ninety-four dollars ($15,210,394).

The distribution of the surplus was as follows:1. Nine million and forty-three thousand one hundred

and sixty-three dollars ($9,043,163) to Ordinary Sav-ings; members each receiving a dividend of 3% as at December 31, 2008

2. Seven hundred and ninety six thousand eight hun-dred and fifty dollars ($796,850) as interest rebate to each member at a rate of 4% on his/her interest

charges for 2008 3. Seven hundred and sixty thousand five hundred and

twenty dollars ($760,520) to the Education Fund of the Society.

4. The sum of forty six thousand seven hundred and for-ty-two dollars ($46,742) to the Social and Entertain-ment Fund of the Society

5. The sum of three million, forty two thousand and seventy-eight dollars ($3,042,078) to the Society’s Reserve Fund (a statutory requirement)

6. The sum of one million five hundred and twenty one thousand and thirty-nine dollars ($1,521,039) to the Audit and Supervision Fund of the Co-operatives De-partment of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security (a statutory requirement).

Following discussions on the reports of the Committee of Management and the Supervisory Committee which covered the period 1st October, 2008 to 30th September, 2009 , office bearers were elected to serve until the 17th Annual General Meeting. Those elected were Cdes Bevon Sinclair, Charles Cadogan, Ramnarace Tiwari, Gaietri Bar-on, Richard De Freitas, Indar Persaud Singh, Walter Ra-ghu, Aslim Singh, Rooplall Persaud, Seepaul Narine and Derek Thakur constituting the Committee of Management while Cdes Narda Mohamed, Kavita Bishun and Ametta Carrol comprise the Supervisory Committee. The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Co-opera-tive Credit Union Society Ltd is distinguished for its yearly General Meeting and the declaration of surplus realized out of its operations.

FRONT PAGE COMMENT:

NO CHRISTMAS FOR US?Continued from page one

Our sustained protests have yielded second thoughts by Guysuco with respect to the tim-ing of the payments of the measly award.

One result of GAWU’s struggle is the in-tense scrutiny the sugar sector has now at-tracted. Articles, columns, features, editorials and letters have all been examining the Sec-tor’s policies and management. Until other industries dominate locally, sugar will still be vital to Guyana’s national economic survival. Also, another consequence of this year-end’s goings-on is the explosion of the myth that sugar workers are somehow more favoured than other workers of the nation.

COMBAT wishes sugar workers and all the other over-worked and under-paid workers of Guyana a peaceful Christmas 2009 and real betterment in 2010.

COMBAT is a publication of the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU)59 High Street & Wight’s Lane, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana, S.A.

Tel: 592-227-2091/2; 225-5321 Fax: 592-227-2093Email: gawu@bbgy.com Website: www.gawu.net

WE ARE SADDENED AND DISAPPOINTED The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the thousands of sugar work-ers it represents are sadly disappointed at the Award by the Gobind Ganga Arbitration Tribunal. The Tribunal, at a hurriedly summoned meeting on (Tuesday) 8th December, 2009, presented the Report of the Tribunal to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guy-ana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guysuco) at the Roof Garden of the Bank of Guyana. With respect to the wage/salary adjustment for this year (2009) the Report states “The Tribunal recommends an across the board increase of 3.0 per cent for 2009 which should be paid no later than the end of March, 2010.”

Indeed, sad days are ahead for the thousands of toiling, productive sugar workers. THE GOVERN-MENT APPOINTED TRIBUNAL undoubtedly, in ex-ecuting its special mandate, ignominiously trans-ferred and embraced the three (3) per cent offer proposed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guy-suco) originally. GAWU sees this as an injustice of

the highest order. To add insult to injury to the poor sugar workers, the sugar bosses have been given un-til 31st March, 2010 to pay the pittance.

Unlike, the public servants, according to a reliable source, who would be paid a five (5) per cent increase retroactive to 1st January, 2009, and which accord-ing to the source is currently being computed or has been computed awaiting the official ANNOUNCE-MENT by the Government. Certainly the public ser-vants deserve greater than five (5) per cent vis-à-vis the cost of living and the LOWNESS of the wages and salaries of those at the bottom. Our solidarity is with them! (Editor’s Note: Public Servants were awarded a 6% increase, subsequent to this release.) From indications, the GAWU is of the opinion that those who manage and those who give directions to the management of the sugar industry, are poised to carry out more onslaughts on the workers. We un-derstand that a “Specialist” who now manages the sugar industry intends to give workers no Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2009. Even in the worst days of sugar production in 1990 – 129,920

tonnes – five (5) days’ pay were awarded as An-nual Production Incentive (API).

Workers must look out for Closure and Retreat from the gains they have fought for and won in previous struggles. They must be vigilant as they continue the struggle against the anti-workers elite.

To cover up for management’s failure, the ground is being prepared for blame to fall on the Union and the Workers.

GAWU condemns these acts of deception and provocation by the Guysuco management. The Union will summon its General Council to discuss, among other things, how to protect our members at this new crossroads juncture con-fronting the industry once again after the rescue two (2) decades ago. Following the General Coun-cil Meeting we will consult our membership and fraternal organization of developments and pros-pects before us.

A Working Class Messiah: GAWU CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2009

From various accounts, Christians believe that the Christ Child, born in extra-ordinary, poor-people, working-class surroundings, grew up to fill the prophesized role of Mes-siah. “Messiah”, in one sense, refers to a liberator of the op-pressed. May the spirit of the Christian Christ Child shine upon the hearts of all rulers, for-mal and informal authorities and, especially, Guyana’s managers and employers, so that they will see the light and wisdom of treat-ing their workers and the less for-tunate much better. Good govern-ments and good employers can indeed become the Messiahs of the masses who are so frequently under stress and strain. It is against the joyous hope of that beginning which was the Birth, that the Guyana Agricul-tural and General Workers Union (GAWU) wishes the Christian community, including hundreds of our members, a peaceful, com-fortable Christmas season, inclu-sive of a happier new year 2010. It is quite obvious and often-re-peated, how the Festival of Christmas permeates every group in Guyana. Regardless of religion, race, culture or politics, we Guyanese, as a people, are part of this Chris-tian celebration in some manner. Whilst some appreciate and promote the spiritual, religious values and lessons of the commemoration, others use its end-of-year period to renovate, replenish and renew. Homes, work-places, schools, everywhere people gather, through decoration, music and sharing, the spirit of celebration in unity is

made manifest. GAWU is acutely aware of the need for Christmas-time collective therapy. The global economic challenges along with internal blunders and external threats and abandon-ment, have combined to make life very rough for the Guya-nese worker. By now the travails of bauxite workers and

sugar workers will be familiar. GAWU was forced to confront the local sugar bosses on behalf of the sugar workers whose toil provide both significant contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product as well as to certain very super salaries. Our struggle has resulted in some relief and a rea-sonable Christmas for the sugar sector employees. During the year, as any perusal of our records will show, we have negotiated gains for all of our members in various sectors of economic endeavour in this coun-try. We shall refrain, for this peri-od, and in the Spirit of the Season of Peace and Goodwill, from hos-tile comments. We hope that good sense prevails next year wherein

employers realize that they still need workers’ labour in times of all their own challenges. May the celebration of the Divine Birth inspire a new re-birth of reasoning and reasonableness in Guyanese so-ciety in 2010 and beyond. Jesus, after all, grew up to be a Champion of the poor, unafraid of Empires and working for the down-trodden.

AHappyChristmasandaBetterNewYeartoall.

STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS | STOP PRESS

SUGAR WORKERS TO BE PAID BEFORE CHRISTMAS The Union, recognizing that Guysuco would have waited until March, 2010 to pay the workers the recommended pittance, organized picketing demon-strations on all the Estates calling on the Corporation to pay the retroactive payments before Christmas. The Ministry of Finance was picketed on 10th De-cember, 2009 and again on 17th December, 2009. Also on 17th December, 2009 we picketed Dr Gobind Ganga following our letter to him pointing out that his Tribunal recommended an increase of three (3) and not an award as was mandated by the Terms of Reference. The Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) issued a press release late on 17th December, 2009 announc-ing that it would honour the retroactive payments before the Christmas holidays after all. The Corporation in its release stated “following the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal, Guysuco began to consider all options to honor our obligations to our workers, especially in light of the fact that we are in the traditional holiday season.” The Corporation advised it was able to secure the neccessary funds after selling molasses at a dis-counted price, receiving an advance from Tate & Lyle for sugar to be shipped, defering its payment to ING Bank of Holland until the last week of December, 2009 and accessing an emergency loan from a con-sortium of local banks. In the meantime, the Union has written the Min-ister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh seeking a waiver of income tax on the retroactive payments. The Union awaits his response.