Save our jobs! Affiliates in Guyana fight closure of sugar estate

IUF affiliates in Guyana are fighting back against government plans to close a major sugar estate, employing 1,700 people.

The Minister of Agriculture recently announced the closure of the Wales estate, Demerara, in blatant contradiction to what the unions understood to be the national plan for the sector. IUF affiliates GAWU and NAACIE immediately stated their “strong opposition and total disagreement” with the decision to close the estate and launched protest action.

Seepaul Narine, General Secretary of GAWU and President of the IUF’s Caribbean region leads a protest march to save Wales estate

The IUF has written to the Minister calling for an immediate halt to plans to close the Wales estate and for “full and good faith negotiations with GAWU and NAACIE to find a just solution which will maintain the estate and ensure employment”.

Members of the IUF sugar workers’ network are being mobilized to support GAWU and NAACIE.