The Government’s holding company, NICIL, has fired more than 60 workers just as they were making moves to become unionised.

Many of the workers were employed at the company at the Wales estate as security guards and labourers. The terminations took effect from the 31st of December.

In a statement today, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said it has been left dumbfounded by the move, which it has described as a sudden bombshell that caught the workers by surprise.

GAWU said it was approached by the workers last year who wanted the union to be recognised as their bargaining agent.

GAWU started to make moves in that direction by filing its application in November with the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board.

In keeping with recognition practices, the union said, the Trade Union Board attempted to conduct a survey seeking to determine whether the union really had the support of the workers.

According to GAWU, that survey was stymied by NICIL which failed to turn up at meetings with the Trade Union Recognition Board on two occasions.

The Union said, NICIL eventually indicated that it was ready to begin the process on the 31st December and that turned out to be the same day that the more than 60 workers were dismissed.

“The actions of NICIL brings back painful memories for the Union which faced similar challenges as it confronted the plantocracy in seeking recognition on behalf of the field and factory workers in the sugar industry. It is unbelievable, for us that in this 21^st century workers must still face such travails to secure union recognition. Worse yet such actions are initiated by a company that is owned by the State”, the Union complained.

GAWU noted that the actions of NICIL is deeply disturbing since many of the workers depended on the jobs following the closure of the estate back in 2016.

The union said the move by NICIL is undermining the government’s efforts to revitalise the sugar industry in the country and reopen some of the closed estates.

NICIL has not responded to the concerns expressed by GAWU.

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