Combat - July/September, 2022

Editorial

Workplace respect

The concept of industrial/employment relations emerged during the latter part of the 19th century as industrialization took greater hold. Its construct posed serious challenges to worker/employer relations, with the workers often being dis advantaged or cheated. In an effort to bring some solution, workers mobilized trade unions, which spoke on their behalf and advanced their rights. This saw gradual improvement in working relations as issues such as pay, benefits and other issues were addressed in a fairer manner.

Over the years, trade unions and workers together have ad vanced calls which have brought additional rights, minimum pay, hours of work, pensions, and a host of other social and economic benefits. The winning of such conditions came against the background of mutual respect between the forces of capital and labour. In this period, workers’ contribution to the success of businesses were held as important and critical to their advancement.

Today, businesses are using every opportunity to reverse the impressive gains of the workers in the 20th century. New forms of employment relations have emerged and are reduc ing workers’ job security. Contracting of workers, adhoc ar rangements, and flexibility in employment mean workers are hanging by a thin thread. These new arrangements align with the neo-liberal economic mantra of which profits are supreme and superior to every other consideration.

In Guyana, we see more and more similar conditions and arrangements emerging. In some sectors, workers are not en gaged by the enterprise at which they undertake their tasks, but by labour contractors who seldom have connection. GAWU has lamented this arm’s length approach to employ ment relations. We have already seen the volatility of such arrangements, wherein workers can be sent home without any hint; have their benefits reduced or taken away altogether without the slightest justification, or become victims of dis crimination and inequity at work.

It is lamentable that, given the proud history of labour ad vancement in Guyana, such arrangements are allowed to flourish. No longer are workers benefitting from workplace security in some sectors and might has become right. This is unfortunate, and it is an indication of the level of respect had by the owners of capital towards the working-class.

The situation in Guyana is no different from what is existing in other neo-liberal economies. But as we have seen in other countries, workers are not standing idly by. They are standing up and defending their right to work and their rights to social justice, equality and workplace rights. This is laudable, and, indeed, they are deserving of our solidarity. In what was once seen as impossible, workers are organizing in unions as they seek to bring about the equality their foreparents once strug gled for and won. Today, workers of Guyana should not allow their rights to be whittled away, but they must start by de manding workplace respect and dignity. Solidarity is critical, and we must remember that united we stand.

GuySuCo anticipates 40,000 tonnes sugar in second crop

utilizing larger quantities of cane to produce a tonne of sugar.

GuySuCo has contended that insufficient cap ital investment is at the root of its challenges. Such explanation has some merit, as inefficient or inadequate machinery will restrict the ability of the industry to produce canes. But the indus try continues to benefit from significant support from the Government towards its capital revi talization programme. Expectedly, by now we should have seen some positive momentum emerging from such investments. This, howev er, is not the case.

When confronted, the sugar company is quick to counter about inconducive weather. Such ex planations cannot be ignored, but it also brings into focus whether the current management is able to grapple with the challenges. Certainly, weather is not a new challenge, and, expect edly by now, the company ought to have been better able to address such issues. With climate change expected to become more prevalent, the management of weather becomes a critical issue.

According to GuySuCo’s second crop production schedule, the crop ought to be concluded within a few weeks. However, based on the production at this point, it is obvious, that the crop will be extended beyond the scheduled period if the Corporation intends to attain its targets. As at September 30, 2022, sugar production at the respective estates as follows:

Estate Target Production Variance

Albion 21,556 10,817 10,739

Blairmont 7,899 6,060 1,839

Uitvlugt 10,800 4,019 6,781

Industry 40,255 20,896 19,359

With production just a bit over the half-way mark, the Corpo ration needs to maximize production in the remaining weeks of 2022 if it is to realize its set targets. There are some glimmers of hope as all three (3) estates in recent weeks have realized their weekly target. Should similar feats be repeated, the Corporation could utilize the current favourable weather to its advantage and be able to realize its target.

At this point in the crop, concerns begin to shift on the availabil ity of sufficient canes to realize the target. The major challenge that confronts the sugar industry, from GAWU’s point-of-view, is the inability to produce sufficient quantities of cane. In recent times, we have seen a decline in tonnes cane per hectare, which succinctly captures the issue. The sugar present in canes is also another serious challenge. Again we are seeing the industry

This year, however, the industry has benefitted from generally favourable weather, when compared to 2021. We await the new excuses it will offer for any failures this year. We are sure the workers will be among those to be blamed, as workers seem to be the easiest target for the Corporation’s management. More and more the company laments the presence of workers, but fails to recognize that they were also starved of any pay increases during the previous Government. Their earnings had fallen dramatically, and they needed to find ways to cope. Additionally, the conditions of the cultivations hardly provide any inspiration for the workers to expect to make a reasonable day’s pay. While the Corporation sees the need to invest in capital, it cannot fail to address labour, its most important asset. The newest of technologies and the best of machinery will not mean much if the labour is not there to advance the work programmes.

The Corporation has recently invited farmers to take up signif icant sections of its cultivations. The presence of farmers in the industry is certainly not a new development. However, previous attempts to engage farmers have not been successful, and it is not clear what will be the difference-marker on this occasion. Several rumours abound, but have not yet been confirmed.

It appears that the Corporation, for one reason or the other, does not recognize the obvious solution – that is: to treat the workers properly. Restore what they lost, and align their pay with the market. All workers seek is to be treated fairly. Already, the Corporation has increased the rates-of-pay of contractors. Simi lar increases should be extended to workers as well. It can make a meaningful difference.

July-September,

Voice of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU)

GAWU now representative of another section of GuySuCo Management

This paved the way for the Union to be issued with a Certificate of Recognition according the GAWU bargaining rights.

The agreement fol lowed negotiations between the Union and the sugar company. Through the agree ment, the parties have set out dispute resolu tion mechanisms, pro cesses for the appoint ment of shop stewards, and other features to guide the relationship between the GAWU and the GuySuCo.

The Guyana Agricultural and Gen eral Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guy SuCo) on September 28, 2022 inked a Recognition and Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes Agreement regarding workers within the Field Superintendent category. It is the first time that a section of the industry’s Senior Staff has been unionized.

Earlier this year, the GAWU applied to the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TURCB) to seek bargaining rights on behalf of the su perintendents of the sugar industry.

After considering the Union’s appli cation, a survey was conducted and the GAWU was deemed to have most of the Senior Staffers as members.

At this stage, we are to commence ef forts to formalize a collective labour agreement which would address con ditions of work and other benefits.

The GAWU looks forward to a fruit ful relationship with the company as we seek to protect and enhance the rights of all workers.

Albion trench cleaner seemingly suffered a stillbirth

GAWU calls on GFC to respect CLA

A trench cleaner which was fabricat ed for use by Albion Estate apparently it will not get off the starting blocks. A trench cleaner which is motorized by a tractor is used to remove vegetation from canals to allow for the free flow of water. Trench cleaners have long been utilized by the sugar industry at various estates, and were seen to be useful in such tasks.

Earlier this year, a fabrication of the new cleaner commenced. Workers

felt the decision was wise, given the need to ensure proper maintenance of the water ways. However, for some time now, works have ceased, and the partially fabricated cleaner lies in a corner of the workshop of the Albi on Estate.

The Union wrote GuySuCo to ex press its concern, and rather than address the issue, the Corporation reminded the GAWU of previous in stances of such cleaners. The Union

has responded to the Corporation, in forming that it was not averse to the use of trench cleaners. We however expressed concern over investment of monies into a partially fabricated cleaner which may not be useable. We questioned whether a proper analysis was done beforehand to ensure that the industry’s scarce re sources were prudently utilized. So far, the Corporation remains mum.

Several former workers of the Guy ana Forestry Commission (GFC) on August, 29, 2022 picketed the management of the Guyana Forestry Commission for their continuing vio lation of the Collective Labour Agree ment (CLA) between the GFC and the GAWU. Five (5) workers of the Com mission were issued Termination let ters during 2021, and in accordance with the extant CLA between the Union and the Commission and the Termination of Employment and Sev erance Pay Act of Guyana, the work ers ought to be paid terminal benefits. The GFC refused, and the matter was represented at the Ministry of Labour under Conciliation.

The Ministry of Labour, by letter dat ed May 30, 2022, pronounced that the workers must be paid their Termi

nal Benefits, in keeping with the Law. The commission has since ignored the Ministry of Labour’s findings.

The GAWU earlier this year applied for Arbitration, in keeping with the ex tant CLA. However the management of GFC ignored the union’s request. The CLA is legally enforceable and binding between the parties.

The aggrieved workers’ families, friends and children came out in support of the workers, as justice is being delayed by a high-handed man agement of a Government enterprise.

The GAWU and the protesters are demanding that the management of the GFC respect the subsisting CLA.

GAWU clarifies

Stabroek News’ report

Our Union has taken note of the contents of an article titled “GAWU wants 16% pay rise for sugar work ers” appearing in the September 30, 2022, Stabroek News.

Among other things, the article appears to give the impression that the Union’s General Secretary dis closed our wage/salary proposal to the sugar company. We wish to clarify, that our General Secretary, when engaged by the Stabroek News informed the reporter that the GAWU would not engage in ne gotiations through the media. The General Secretary politely indicated that, in the circumstances, he could not disclose the Union’s propos

al. Without saying much more, we must advise, however, that the pro posal quoted by the newspaper is not correct.

At this time, as the article identi fies, we have recently commenced discussions with the Corporation. We remain hopeful of reaching an amicable agreement.

The GAWU appreciates the efforts of the media in highlighting issues and matters emanating from the Union and its members. Our Union certainly looks forward to a contin uation of the good relations we have shared over the years.

GAWU President Seepaul Narine and GuySuCo Chief Industrial Relations Manager Deodat Sukhu signing the agreement

Scenes of the protest activity outside of the GFC on August 29, 2022

The partially completed trench cleaner lying in the workshop of Albion Estate

GAWU wants GuySuCo to use resources carefully in the interest of production and productivity

evance, it is also hard to ignore per sonnel who have long years of prac tical experience in the sugar cane cultivation, and more specifically mechanical tillage operations. The GAWU in seek ing to get a better understanding of the two (2) types of tractor technol ogies, engaged workers who had utilized both types of machines. The workers have ex

pressed their concerns regarding the new technology (articulated) being touted from several perspectives. This has caused us serious appre hensions, as their practical views should not be ignored.

Through the interview, the CEO also disclosed he was unaware of a pro posal sent to the Company earlier this year by the articulated tractor compa ny (GAME). Maybe it is that the CEO is unable to fully digest documentation regarding the purchase of important tools for the industry. We are aware of the CEO’s presence at a meeting recently, where the articulated tractor proposal was discussed among other proposals for tillage tractors. Accord ing to a GuySuCo social media post,

it was learnt that emanating from that meeting, John Deere tractors were purchased.

The GAWU wants to see the sugar industry succeed and play an even more meaningful role in our country. Such efforts, of course, require an allhands-on-deck approach. To seek to alienate those who may have differing views cannot be helpful. As efforts are made to stabilize the industry, the judicious use of resources should be undertaken while employing appro priate and tested technologies to im prove production and productivity. In the meantime, the Union’s Executive Committee is addressing its presence at the level of the GuySuCo Board of Directors, and at an appropriate time will make its position known.

The GAWU has noted the expres sions of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Sugar Corpo ration Inc (GuySuCo) in the August 05, 2022 Kaieteur News. Having digested the sentiments expressed, for the sake of clarity, we wish to re-emphasize certain statements ex pressed beforehand. We believe it is necessary also to offer some other perspectives.

In seeking to distance himself from the purchase of the articulated tractors, the CEO shared that delib erations took place at the level of a Board sub-committee. The Subcom mittee he referred to is the Board’s Procurement Committee. All con siderations and deliberations by this sub-committee are based on formal recommendations by Executive Man agement. In the case of the articu lated tractors, the CEO has affirmed that the recommendation to pursue articulated tractors emanated from his ‘technical personnel’. As the CEO, was he not involved in the articulation of the recommendation?

The CEO highlighted the presence of the Union’s representative on the sub-committee. On this issue, as we pointed out previously, the sub-com mittee comprised several other di rectors, and it was their collective deliberations that led to a position that such tractors be bought for tri als to determine their efficacy. When this matter was discussed with the highest levels of the Government of Guyana, it was ordered that the Com pany purchase two (2) such tractors which will be used for trials. It further reinforces the appropriateness of the Procurement Committee’s decision making

The CEO speaks voluminously re garding the independent report done by a team of engineers of the Minis

try of Agriculture. Our Union has ob tained a copy of this report, and has carefully perused the findings therein. Of significant note to us was that the team, when addressing the produc tivity of the articulated versus fixed frame tractors, reproduced GuySuCo data on a report previously done by its own ‘technical’ personnel. Instruc tively, GuySuCo’s data was prepared long before any decision was made on the procurement of the articulat ed tractor, and even before the sub mission of the independent team of the Ministry of Agriculture. We had thought that independent team would have sought to at least confirm what the Corporation’s ‘technical’ person nel would have advanced, rather than replicating all of GuySuCo’s produc tivity and operating parameters in their report. The GAWU does recog nize the team offered other findings, but, for us, productivity and operating parameters remain the critical consid erations, and these parameters were determined by GuySuCo’s “technical personnel’. The independent team did not submit, in our view, an indepen dent report.

Our Union has also received confi dentially the results of an actual trial between the two (2) types of ma chines (fixed frame and articulated) at Albion Estate during 2021. That eval uation offers varying perspectives on the efficacy of one machine type as against the other. Those findings may require more careful and deep er examination and analysis. On that note, we recognise the attempt by the Board of Directors of GuySuCo to undertake such examination. Unfor tunately, efforts in this regard, it ap pears, were thwarted and may have suffered a stillbirth.

The CEO alluded prominently to the qualified personnel who examined the matter. While that may have some rel

Blairmont and Uitvlugt workers call on GuySuCo to treat them equitably

On September 22, 2022, workers of Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates staged picketing exercises outside of the re spective estates. The workers’ issues are similar, as they are seeking the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guy SuCo) to treat them equally with their colleagues, and to have fairness in their policies.

At Blairmont Estate, the field fore men/forewomen are peeved over a decision by the sugar company to selectively award pay rises. The foremen/forewomen pointed out that some of their recently confirmed col leagues were given pay rises, while same was not afforded to them. As a result, the new foremen/forewomen are enjoying rates-of-pay in excess of their colleagues who have functioned in their posts for longer periods. The company had informed that the se lected workers sat an examination

and, based on their scores, were awarded additional pay increments.

The long-serving foremen/forewom en, in that vein, sought an opportu nity to also sit the examination, to determine whether they could benefit from further increments like their col leagues.

At a meeting on September 20, 2022, between the GAWU and the GuySuCo, this suggestion was reiter ated. Surprisingly, the Union was told that the company was not inclined in such direction. The response upset the workers, who felt that the sugar company was not treating them fairly and inequitably. Though the Corpora tion said it would provide a response, the workers are convinced that, giv en the expressions and demeanour of the company at the meeting, their concerns would be treated insincere ly.

At Uitvlugt Estate, workers from several departments pick eted to register their dissatisfaction over unequal treatment. At that estate, workers highlighted that some of their colleagues re ceived reportedly large pay increases in re cent times. The work ers shared that they brought this concern to the attention of the estate management, which undertook to conducting some checks and provide a response on Sep tember 22, 2022. When the workers arrived for meeting, the management informed it could not offer a re sponse. The workers enquired when it would be possible to hear from the estate. However, the management re mained evasive. This stance angered the workers, who felt that the man agement demonstrated that it was unconcerned about the issues raised.

Both the Blairmont and Uitvlugt workers are not averse to their col leagues receiving pay increments. They shared that they are pleased that the Corporation has found it worthy to recognize the hard work and dedi cated efforts of its workers. They are hopeful that better sense can prevail, and the Corporation would equally implements policies for all workers to be treated fairly.

Workers of Blairmont picketing the unfair treatment, and demanding equity and fairness

GuySuCo Management is advancing that the GAME articulated tractor, pictured above, is a superior machine to the older machines. However, some have disagreed with that conclusion

Uncle Sam’s long trail of wreckage

Very few policymakers even concede that Washington’s overseas military adventures often have not turned out as planned

ment and the Sunni jihadists trying to unseat Bashar al-Assad continues, despite its absence in U.S.-government statements and Western news accounts. Washington also continues to support Kurdish separatists in northeastern Syria and has effective control over that area’s oil production. The country, though, may be shattered beyond repair from the years of fight ing facilitated by U.S. leaders.

Kiev.

The U.S. foreign-policy record over the past three decades could hardly be worse. It is cru cial not to let policymakers and their media mouthpieces get away with convenient collec tive amnesia and imitations of Pontius Pilate. Instead, they need to be held fully accountable for their blunders and deception.

By Ted Galen Carpenter

The leaders and most of the news media in the U.S. seem to believe that Washington’s for eign policy over the past several decades has been a success, and benefitted both the United States and the world. That assumption wasn’t really true, even during the Cold War, although that confrontation eventually resulted in the peaceful demise of America’s nasty totalitarian adversary. There was plenty of collateral dam age along the way, with the suffering caused by Washington’s conduct in Vietnam and Afghani stan being the most glaring examples.

The performance of U.S. leaders after the Cold War has been even worse. An array of disrup tive, bloody tragedies—most notably those in the Balkans, Afghanistan (again), Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen—mark Uncle Sam’s global trail of wreckage. The Biden administration’s decision to use Ukraine as a pawn in Washing ton’s power struggle with Russia is fast becom ing the latest example.

Very few policymakers even concede that Washington’s overseas military adventures of ten have not turned out as planned. The news media, which is supposed to serve as the public’s watchdog, have routinely ignored or excused America’s foreign-policy disasters. In stead, when one intervention fails, they simply move on to lobby for the next crusade pushed by U.S. leaders. Consider how few news accounts now deal with the ongoing violence and chaos in places such as Libya, Syria, and Yemen, even though Washington was a major contributor to all of those tragedies. Paul Poast, a scholar with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, apt ly describes the conflict in Syria as America’s “forgotten war.” “That the war in Syria has be come the “forgotten war,” he observes, “points to a more disturbing trend in U.S. foreign policy: The United States is so engaged in wars and interventions around the world that a conflict in volving the U.S. military that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians does not even register with the American public anymore.”

Daniel Larison, in a post on his Eunomia Sub stack, likewise notes that the pattern in Syria has been replicated in many other places, in cluding Somalia. Despite the extensive human suffering caused by Washington’s long war in Afghanistan, that episode is already fading in prominence now that U.S. troops are no longer in the country. Ukraine is the new center of at tention, and the conflict there is portrayed in the same, simplistic, melodramatic fashion that has characterized Washington’s previous crusades.

The elites’ post-Cold War track record is not a pretty one. Even the cases touted as successes fail to stand up to scrutiny. Interventionists em phasize that NATO’s use of military force ended both Bosnia’s civil war and fighting in Kosovo. Although that can be considered a success, it is a partial one at best. Despite the passage of 27 years, Bosnia is no closer to being a viable, unit ed country today than it was in the mid-1990s. The three antagonistic ethnic groups still refuse to cooperate, and the Serbs even periodically threaten to secede. By all measures, Bosnia is utterly dysfunctional, both economically and politically. Indeed, NATO’s military intervention merely may have postponed the day of reckon ing.

The outcome in Kosovo was not much bet ter. Tensions between the Serbian and Kosovar Governments are sufficiently acute that NATO intends to increase its “peacekeeping” troop presence and take direct action if the situation gets worse. Belgrade still is unwilling to recog nize Kosovo’s independence, a position shared by approximately half of the countries in the in ternational system. The regime in Pristina and its NATO backers stubbornly refuse to let the predominantly Serbian northeast be governed by Belgrade, even though that concession might resolve the ongoing diplomatic impasse. As in the case of Bosnia, Kosovo remains a powder keg that could cause major problems for the United States and NATO. Yet the Balkan inter ventions are considered Washington’s great success story.

Matters are even worse following the U.S. crusades in other countries. The fighting be tween Syria’s “coalition of religions” govern

The turmoil in Iraq is less severe, but is still damaging the country. Political disputes and mass demonstrations against the current gov ernment regularly surface in Iraq. Pro-Iranian militias continue to play a prominent role in the country’s government, and the three-way split among Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, and Kurds is becoming ever more contentious. Political vio lence among rival factions shows no signs of subsiding, nor does public resentment against the presence of U.S. troops. Washington so lacks trust in its “ally” that officials once threat ened to seize the country’s bank reserves if Iraqi leaders continued to press for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The level of human tragedy in Libya and Yemen is horrifying. Washington and its NATO allies bear almost exclusive responsibility for the situ ation in Libya. U.S. and NATO air strikes played a decisive role in overthrowing Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. Libya thereafter became an arena of chaos as a multitude of mi litias vied for power, displacing more than a mil lion residents. There were even credible reports of open-air slave markets for immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past few years, the fighting has coalesced into a contest for political dominance between a government that the Unit ed States supports and an insurgent army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter, who was once a CIA asset. Scheduled national elections have been postponed numerous times, and fighting continues to periodically erupt.

Washington bears less direct, but still signifi cant, responsibility for the suffering in Yemen. The Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have all supported the war of aggression that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their Gulf allies have waged against the nomi nally Shiite Houthis. The result has been appall ing suffering by civilians, including widespread disease and famine conditions.

The latest application of Washington’s meddle some policy is in Ukraine. U.S. leaders ignored repeated Russian warnings that making Ukraine a NATO member or even an unofficial NATO military assetwould cross a line that threatened Russia’s security. When Moscow finally re sponded to the provocations with an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administra tion opted to use Ukraine in a Western proxy war against Russia. The conflict has already done enormous damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and taken thousands of lives. Worse, Wash ington and London appear to have sabotaged a possible peace accord between Moscow and

Future U.S. policymakers also need to avoid repeating the faulty performance of their prede cessors. To do so, they must make three signif icant changes to U.S. foreign policy.

First, Washington should utterly renounce na tion-building. Trying to remake alien societies by force and impose Western political, eco nomic, and social values is the essence of folly. Even when the United States has not yet been drawn into a new war to enforce crumbling na tion-building goals, as in Bosnia and Kosovo, such armed social experiments are an exercise in futility and frustration. Worse, nation-building missions frequently worsen conditions in the targeted country, and the predictable failure of U.S. objectives even can lead to Washington’s outright humiliation. The debacle in Afghanistan is a stark reminder of that danger.

Second, the United States must avoid the temp tation to engage in regime-change wars. Such offensives often are a prelude to disastrous nation-building ventures. That was the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Those wars not only made matters worse for the populations in the three countries, but worsened the secu rity situation for neighbouring states, and even the United States. In both Iraq and Libya, U.S. actions toppled secular dictators, paving the way for chaos that strengthened the position of Islamic jihadists. Granted the secular dictators were brutal and sometimes caused problems for the United States, Washington’s “solution” clearly made matters worse, not better.

Third, U.S. leaders must do a much better job of distinguishing vital national interests from secondary or peripheral ones. Washington’s current policy of using Ukraine as a proxy for a war against Russia is a troubling example of the failure to make such basic distinctions. The Biden administration is risking nuclear war with Russia to assist a corrupt, authoritarian regime in a country of little importance to the United States. Until the early 1990s, Ukraine wasn’t even an independent country, much less a U.S. vital interest. To accept the risks the Biden ad ministration is incurring is irresponsible and vio lates the U.S. Government’s responsibility to the American people.

Unless these policy changes are made, it is just a matter of time until a new set of officials repeat the disastrous blunders of their predecessors. If they do, the consequences to America and the world will be equally damaging. Indeed, the Ukraine adventure reveals that the consequenc es could be even worse than the wreckage al ready wrought by Uncle Sam.

How billionaires become billionaires

By Prof. James Petras

America has the greatest inequalities, highest mortality rate, most regressive taxes, and larg est public subsidies for bankers and billionaires of any developed capitalist country.

How the Billionaires become Billionaires

Contrary to the propaganda pushed by the business press, between 67% and 72% percent of corporations had zero tax liabilities after cred its and exemptions … while their workers and employees paid between 25 – 30% in taxes. The rate for the minority of corporations, which paid any tax, was 14%.

According to the US Internal Revenue Service, billionaire tax evasion amounts to $458 billion dollars in lost public revenues every year – al most a trillion dollars every two years by this conservative estimate.

The largest US corporations sheltered over $2.5 trillion dollars in overseas tax havens where they paid no taxes or single digit tax rates.

Meanwhile US corporations in crisis received over $14.4 trillion dollars (Bloomberg claimed 12.8 trillion) in public bailout money, split between the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve, mostly from US tax payers, who are overwhelmingly workers, employees and pensioners.

A small number of the financial swindlers, including executives from Wall Street’s lead ing banks (Goldman Sachs, J. P. Morgan etc), paid fines – but no one went to prison for the gargantuan fraud that drove millions of Americans into misery.

There are other swindler bankers, like the current Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin, who enriched themselves by ille gally foreclosing on thousands of homeown ers in California. Some were tried; all were exonerated, thanks to the influence of Dem ocratic political leaders during the Obama years.

Silicon Valley and its innovative billionaires have found novel way to avoid taxes using overseas tax havens and domestic tax writeoffs. They increase their wealth and corpo rate profits by paying their local manual and service workers poverty level wages. Silicon Valley executives ‘earn’ a thousand times more than their production workers..

Billionaires in the commercial conglomerates, like Walmart, exploit workers by paying pov erty wages and providing few, if any, benefits. Walmart earns $16 billion dollar a year in profits by paying its workers between $10 and $13 an hour and relying on state and federal assistance to provide services to the families of its impov erished workers through Medicaid and food stamps. Amazon plutocrat Jeff Bezos exploits workers by paying $12.50 an hour while he has accumulated over $80 billion dollars in profits.

UPS CEO David Albany takes $11 million a year by exploiting workers at $11 an hour. Federal Express CEO, Fred Smith gets $16 million and pays workers $11 an hour.

Inequality is not a result of ‘technology’ and ‘education’- contemporary euphemisms for the ruling class cult of superiority – as liberals and conservative economists and journalists like to claim. Inequalities are a result of low wages, based on big profits, financial swin

dles, multi-trillion dollar public handouts and multi-billion-dollar tax evasion. The ruling class has mastered the ‘technology’ of exploiting the state, through its pillage of the treasury, and the working class. Capitalist exploitation of low paid production workers provides additional billions for the ‘philanthropic’ billionaire family foundations to polish their public image – using another tax avoidance gimmick – self-glorifying ‘donations’.

Workers pay disproportional taxes for educa tion, health, social and public services and sub sidies for billionaires.

Workers and Bosses: Mortality Rates

Billionaires and multi-millionaires and their families enjoy longer and healthier lives than their workers. They have no need for health in surance policies or public hospitals. CEO’s live on average ten years longer than a worker and enjoy twenty years more of healthy and painfree lives.

Workers are treated and mistreated by the health system: They have inadequate and often incompetent medical treatment, cursory exam

and the services of the most influential lawyers and accountants to cover their swindles and tax evasion.

Billionaires hire innovators and sweat shop MBA managers to devise more ways to slash wages, increase productivity and ensure that inequalities widen even further. Billionaires do not have to be the brightest or most innovative people: Such individuals can simply be bought or imported on the ‘free market’ and discarded at will.

Billionaires have bought out or formed joint ventures with each other, creating interlocking directorates. Banks, IT, factories, warehouses, food and appliance, pharmaceuticals and hos pitals are linked directly to political elites who slither through doors of rotating appointments within the IMF, the World Bank, Treasury, Wall Street banks and prestigious law firms.

Consequences of Inequalities

First and foremost, billionaires and their po litical, legal and corporate associates dominate the political parties. They designate the leaders and key appointees, thus ensuring that budgets

argue that deeper regressive taxation would in crease investments and jobs. The data speaks otherwise. The bulk of repatriated profits are directed to buy back stock to increase divi dends for investors; they are not invested in the productive economy. Lower taxes and greater profits for conglomerates means more buy-outs and greater outflows to low wage countries. In real terms taxes are already less than half the headline rate and are a major factor heightening the concentration of income and power – both cause and effect.

Corporate elites, the billionaires in the Silicon Valley-Wall Street global complex are relatively satisfied that their cherished inequalities are guaranteed and expanding under the Demo-Re publican Presidents- as the ‘good times’ roll on.

Away from the ‘billionaire elite’, the ‘outsiders’ – domestic capitalists – clamor for greater pub lic investment in infrastructure to expand the do mestic economy, lower taxes to increase prof its, and state subsidies to increase the training of the labor force while reducing funds for health care and public education. They are oblivious to the contradiction.

One hundred and fifty million wage and salaried taxpayers are excluded from the political and social decisions that directly affect their income, employment, rates of taxation, and political representation.

They understand, or at least experience, how the class system works. Most work ers know about the injustice of the fake ‘free trade’ agreements and regressive tax regime, which weighs heavy on the majority of wage and salary earners.

inations by inexperienced medical assistants and end up victims of the widespread over-pre scription of highly addictive narcotics and other medications. The shortened life expectancy for workers and their family members is celebrated on Wall Street and in the financial press. Over 560,000 workers were killed by opioids be tween 1999-2015 contributing to the decline in life expectancy for working age wage and salary earners and reduced pension liabilities for Wall Street and the Social Security Administration.

Inequalities are cumulative, inter-generational and multi-sectorial.

Billionaire families, their children and grand children, inherit and invest billions. They have privileged access to the most prestigious schools and medical facilities, and conveniently fall in love to equally privileged, well-connect ed mates to join their fortunes and form even greater financial empires. Their wealth buys favorable, even fawning, mass media coverage

and policies will increase their profits, erode social benefits for the masses and weaken the political power of popular organizations.

Secondly, the burden of the economic crisis is shifted on to the workers who are fired and later re-hired as part-time, contingent labor. Public bailouts, provided by the taxpayer, are chan neled to the billionaires under the doctrine that Wall Street banks are too big to fail and workers are too weak to defend their wages, jobs and living standards.

As a result, wage and salary workers are less organized and less influential; they work longer and for less pay, suffer greater workplace inse curity and injuries – physical and mental – fall into decline and disability, drop out of the sys tem, die earlier and poorer, and, in the process, provide unimaginable profits for the billionaire class. Even their addiction and deaths provide opportunities for huge profit – as the Sackler Family, manufacturers of Oxycontin, can attest.

The billionaires and their political acolytes

However, worker hostility and despair is directed against ‘immigrants’ and against the ‘liberals’ who have backed the import of cheap skilled and semi-skilled labor under the guise of ‘freedom’. This ‘po litically correct’ image of imported labor covers up a policy, which has served to lower wages, benefits and living stan dards for American workers, whether they are in technology, construction or production. Rich conservatives, on the other hand, oppose immigration under the guise of ‘law and order’ and to low er social expenditures – despite that fact that they all use imported nannies, tutors, nurses, doctors and gardeners to service their families. Their servants can always be deported when convenient.

The pro and anti-immigrant issue avoids the root cause for the economic exploitation and social degradation of the working class – the billionaire owners operating in alliance with the political elite.

In order to reverse the regressive tax practic es and tax evasion, the low wage cycle and the spiraling death rates resulting from narcotics and other preventable causes, which profit in surance companies and pharmaceutical billion aires, class alliances need to be forged linking workers, consumers, pensioners, students, the disabled, the foreclosed homeowners, evicted tenants, debtors, the under-employed and im migrants as a unified political force.

Sooner said than done, but never tried! Every thing and everyone is at stake: life, health and happiness.

Blairmont workers call for management shake-up

remain highly appre ciative of the Admin istration’s support, but they believe that the management team is letting the Govern ment down. Many re marked that they have never seen the estate at such a poor level. This, they contended, reflects the perfor mance of the current management.

Blairmont Estate allowing potable water to be wasted

Shop stewards and several workers of Blairmont Estate on August 15, 2022 staged a picketing exercise call ing for an improvement in the man agement of the sugar company. The workers highlighted that they have seen the performance of the estate

declining, and it appeared to them that the current management team cannot grapple with the challenges.

The workers shared that the situa tion prevails when the Government is actively supporting the industry. They

The workers are calling for changes in the management to begin from the top of the Corporation. They shared their belief that the current direction emanates from the head of the sugar company, and the current direction is heavily influenced by that level. The workers are hoping that better sense can prevail, and that the Corporation treats them with respect rather than seeking to alienate them.

Workers express concerned over new cane loaders

loaders, on the other hand, can undertake both tasks simultaneously. As a result, it takes operators much lon ger than usual to undertake their tasks than they did with the Bell loaders purchased. Workers have reported other challenges as well.

Water from the leaking pipe being discharged into a punt. After the punt is filled the potable water is emptied into the canal.

A pipeline carrying fresh (pota ble) water adjacent to the Blairmont Estate factory has been leaking for some time. The pipe is situated onto a bridge the crosses a canal and the leaking water would fall into the ca nal. Apparently not able to remedy the situation, the estate took a strange decision to place a cane punt (barge) under the leaky pipe to capture the leaking water. However after some time when the punt is filled, the estate employs workers to empty the fresh water, according to reports, into the canal where the pipe hangs above.

The Union was astounded by such reports and sought clarity from the

GuySuCo. The company admitted to the situation and sought to inform that the pipe by virtue of the attach ment to the bridge is subject to reg ular vibration from the traversing of machines and other vehicles. As a result, the pipe becomes loose and leaks. The company has said it would seek a permanent solution whereby the pipe would be removed from the bridge and thus prevent the vibration and subsequent failures contributing to the leaks.

It is unfortunate that the situation could not have been addressed until the Union and the workers expressed concern.

GuySuCo must address bunching of scales

The GuySuCo, we have learnt, has recently procured several new cane loaders to improve efficiency. Cane loaders have been utilized in the sug ar industry since the 1990s. Usually, loaders manufactured by Bell Equip ment were purchased, as these ma chines were found to be suitable for

our environment.

The new loaders were sourced from a different company, and that is when the woes, we understand, began. Ac cording to reports the Union received, the machines are only able to move or grab canes, but cannot do both operations at the same time. The Bell

The Corporation, we under stand, has parked the new cane loaders. We were in formed by a reliable source that the sugar company and the supplier are seeking to address remedial works. It is unclear what were the speci fications the GuySuCo sought when it invited interested sup pliers to submit bids. It also raises questions about the evaluation of the bids sub mitted. It could be argued that, were thorough research done the unfortunate situation could have been avoided.

It is unfortunate that the ‘experts’ in GuySuCo have seemingly let the company down. One wonders if this equipment would have been pur chased if the experts were procuring for themselves!

With the recent improvement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), which will require no worker to earn less than $347 per hour, several pay scales in the sugar industry have collided. The NMW has seen pay levels at the band one and two levels becoming the same. Additionally the relativity between the other scales is disturbed, and there is a need to ad

dress this issue.

The Corporation has acknowledged the Union’s contention, and has committed to seeking to find a rem edy to the situation. It has shared during the 2022 negotiations that it will seek to advance a proposal in an effort to bring about a resolution.

Workers of Blairmont Estate expressing their concerns with the attitude of Management

One of the new cane loaders parked at Albion Estate though required for use in the fields

Workers allege cane juice dumped at Uitvlugt factory

ment, immediately sought clarity from GuySuCo. The company informed that indeed some juice was discharged as the high level of mud within the juice required such decision. The presence of mud within the juice affects sug ar quality, though the industry over time has developed pro cesses to address such situa tion. It remains unclear whether they were employed, and what the results were. A request for an explanation from the Union remains outstanding at this time.

Blairmont workers left on the road

Workers of Uitvlugt factory are al leging that the management of the factory is engaged in the dumping of cane juice. Juice extracted from sug ar canes and processed into sugar. Thus, the dumping of juice reduces

sugar production. Videos and pic tures obtained by workers confirmed that juice was being discharged through drainage pipes in the factory.

The Union, learning of the develop

The workers, however, cap tured juice which reportedly did not contain mud but was being discharged. This was brought to the attention of the Corporation’s CEO, who was visiting the estate at the time. An investigation was there after launched, and is in the process of being conducted. The Union and the workers are waiting to learn more.

GAWU and GuySuCo engage in negotiations

Workers of Blairmont Estate awaiting transportation to take them to their work locations. The workers were made to wait for extended periods, as, reportedly, sufficent lorries were not available. The GuySuCo explained that one contractor suffered from difficulties, and that contributed to the situation. However, at no time did the estate, beforehand, inform the work ers of the woes. It is understood even when the GuySuCo contended that the situation was resolved, workers remained waiting for extended periods to be picked up for work.

A number of workers of Blairmont Estate were left on the public road awaiting lorries which transport them to work in the cultivation during mid-August, 2022. The workers in formed GAWU that they had jour neyed from their homes to gather at the truck stops, and despite waiting for extended periods, no lorries came for them. The situation was revealing, as the GuySuCo has consistently al luded to workers not coming to work. However, it appears, in some instanc es workers were not being picked up.

In instances where a lorry did ar rive to transport the workers, it was very late and thus impeded workers’ productivity in the cultivation. The

sugar company claimed that the sit uation was one-off and as a result of challenges experienced by one of the contractors. If that was the truth of the matter, it is strange that the Corporation did not seek, at the very least, to inform the shop stewards of such developments.

Notwithstanding the GuySuCo pro nouncements, the situation festered for several more days. Unconfirmed reports indicated that some contrac tors were refusing to provide services arising from payments by the Corpo ration. It is not clear what led to a re versal of the situation, but it was only after the GAWU’s exposure did some sense of normalcy return.

Negotiations between the GAWU and the GuySuCo regarding our proposals for this year (2022) commenced on August 30, 2022. At this time, three (3) meetings were held and the par ties have been engaged in preliminary discussions. Presently, as is the case at previous discussions, the Corpo ration is sharing with the negotiating

team data regarding its financial and marketing issues.

Following those discussions, atten tion will be turned to addressing the non-wage matters. These include improvements in the issuance of per sonal protective equipment (PPE), addressing certain incentives and

allowances, among other things. Af ter then would the parties commence discussion on the Union’s wage/sal ary claim.

The GAWU looks forward to amica ble discussions with a view to reach ing a mutually acceptable agreement between the parties.

A shot from a video which reportedly depicts cane juice being dumped at the Uitvlugt factory

AMCAR closes Rosignol plant and places workers on the breadline

GAWU and OWTU sign

Memorandum of Cooperation

- collaboration to enhance workers rights and conditions in oil and gas sector

The Amazon Caribbean Guyana Lim ited (AMCAR) on July 25, 2022 in formed the GAWU that it had decided to shut down its Rosignol, West Bank Berbice plant and will send home the approximately 30-person workforce.

The GAWU, which represents the plant employees, was stunned by the decision. The Company had for some time had been complaining about challenges it was encountering. The Union was also aware that the com pany’s principals were in contact with the Government to address some of the difficulties they were confronting. It was therefore shocking when the GAWU learnt that the AMCAR had decided to close its operations at this time.

The 30-person workforce was in formed simultaneously with the Union, though the AMCAR has sever al obligations as per the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. For the workers, the news was a bombshell, as they have now to seek elsewhere to secure a livelihood. The GAWU stands with them in this diffi cult period. The mostly female work force is saddened by the Company’s decision to terminate them, more so as they were highly dependent on their earnings.

Arising from GAWU’s representation, the workers received their benefits in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA). Were the workers not protected by the agreement it would be unclear what would happen

Time for updated Job Evaluation in the sugar industry

The GAWU has informed the Guy SuCo that it believes there is a need to address certain elements of a job evaluation exercise. The Union indi cated that since the last exercise in 2011 no further examinations were conducted. In that period, the GAWU highlighted, there has been several significant changes to the labour mar ket, and there was a need for GuySu Co to ensure that its conditions were consistent with the market.

The GAWU has suggested to the

sugar company that it considers the conduct of the salary survey aspect of the exercise. We held that the other elements were already settled, and in instances where re-evaluation was necessary, only those jobs should be examined, rather than the entire gamut.

The GuySuCo has responded to the Union’s proposal, indicating that it would deliberate with its stakeholders before offering its position.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Oil field Workers Union (OWTU) of Trin idad and Tobago, on July 26, 2022, signed a Memorandum of Coopera tion (MoC). The GAWU and the OWTU have shared long-standing fraternal bonds going back several decades, and in past struggles, have stood in solidarity. As affiliates of the WFTU, the two unions have shared several common objectives.

The MoC will allow GAWU to benefit from the knowledge and skills from the OWTU, which has represented workers in the oil sector for some 85 years now. The memorandum, in advancing the GAWU and the OWTU relations, recognised that collabora tive efforts between developing coun tries remain an essential prerequisite in stemming the tide of the erosion of gains and in protecting workers.

In the spirit of renewed coopera tion and advancing the protection of workers within our two (2) countries, the GAWU and the OWTU agreed to promote collaboration within several

spheres. The parties to this memo randum have identified engagement in knowledge-sharing to protect and safeguard workers within the oil and gas sector within Guyana. This will be advanced through the areas of shared training, development efforts, and the transfer of technical skills in Oil and gas Industry to enhance workers’ knowledge of their rights and condi tions to heighten their consciousness of workplace exploitation. For the unions, to share expertise and ex perience in advancing the rights and protecting the gains of workers within our unions and countries, the parties will also consider other appropriate and relevant collective actions in the interest of working-class protection and the development of Guyana’s So cial Economy.

In the coming weeks, the unions will further enhance the memorandum. The GAWU is pleased to have taken this positive step, and is appreciative of the OWTU as we promote regional collaboration to advance the interest of the Guyanese working-class.

Response to Oil and Gas Chamber

The GAWU noted the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) con cerns regarding our collaboration with the OWTU. We believe that the Chamber could have reached out to the Union regarding its concerns. Even at this stage we are not unmind ful of engaging the GOGEC.

The Chamber expressed the view that they are good industrial relations practices within the sector. We do not entirely share that view. In our activi ties among workers within the sector, we have learnt of the departure of certain practices, whether enshrined in Statute or otherwise. Some of these issues were only remedied af ter we brought them to the attention of the relevant authorities. Had good industrial relations been a hallmark of the sector, such issues, we believe, would not have existed. We could provide further elucidation should the GOGEC takes up our offer of engage ment.

Combat is a publication of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) 59 High Street and Wights Lane, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana Tel: (592) 227-2091/2, 225-5321, 223-6523 Email: info@gawugy.com Website: www.gawugy.com

GAWU President Cde Seepaul Narine and OWTU President Ancel Roget shaking hands after the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on July 26, 2022. Through the MoC, the OWTU will share experiences with the GAWU as the Union seeks to enhance its works among workers in the oil and gas sector.