GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)says it will be meeting with representatives of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) on for Thursday as it seeks to address the long-standing issue of wage and salary “bunching” within the sugar industry.
Sugar workers (File Photo)GuySuCO said that it would also be meeting with other trade unions to address the situation that is affecting employees across the sector and not confined to any single estate.
The issue came to a head earlier this month when workers at the Albion Estate staged a two-day strike with the GuySuCo’s management subsequently meeting with the disgruntled employees, assuring them that the matter would be addressed as a priority.
“Workers are central to the continued success of the sugar industry,” GuySuCo said in a statement.
Both GuySuCo and the unions have publicly committed to finding a resolution in the shortest possible time, noting that the workers remain “valued partners” in the industry’s success.
The sugar corporation has signalled a willingness to work closely with the unions to restore stability and trust across estates.
In Guyana’s sugar industry, “bunching” refers to the problematic concentration or accumulation of salary increases for workers, often resulting from past agreements like the years of service clause.
This term describes the issue where employees with a common, long period of service would all receive similar pay raises at the same time, creating wage disparities with workers hired more recently or with different service lengths.
