Sugar workers concerned they could be on breadline when industry is in private hands

Scores of sugar workers are feeling uneasy as discussions surrounding the transition of the sugar industry from a public entity to a private enterprise continue, says president of the Sugar Industries Staff Association (SISA) Dwight Miller.

Miller told Barbados TODAY that his constituents were concerned that the industry was not a lucrative one and once the transition was made it could threaten the employability of workers.

“We had some talks at the end of December and [were] promised that talks would resume this month. I would hope we would be able to get those talks started again. In terms of the privatisation of the industry, people are thinking long-term in terms of the future of the industry and the conversations that we are having with management bear those concerns in mind, in terms of not only what would happen for this crop but what will happen after the crop and beyond.

“They want to have some sort of idea about the surety of their employment. If we are being real, based on the conversations, the industry doesn’t have a lot of money to help sustain itself as it would like,” he said.

As it relates to the union, Miller said the body was pushing to get a clear cut idea of the terms and conditions of employment under the new arrangement and what benefits could be derived.

“At the end of the day some persons working in the industry have been doing this for a very long time and they are the persons with the skill set. So they would want to get an idea of where we are going in terms of employment . . . that they would continue to be stakeholders in the industry.”

Miller added that workers had other concerns pertaining to this year’s sugar harvest, and while he did not go into detail, he said they were even more worried that they may go to the negotiation table and get the requests they demanded addressed and next year they would not be part of the harvest.

Earlier this week, Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir told Barbados TODAY that negotiations with unions representing sugar workers were already in the works.

He said he had given instructions for the chairman and the CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC) to meet with the workers’ representative.

“Because the BAMC at the end of this financial year must start transitioning from a government entity to a private sector entity. That first phase must begin and I don’t expect to have that first phase started without buy-in from the unions,” he had said.

“I am confident that a meeting was held with the Barbados Workers’ Union and a meeting was held with the Sugar Industries Staff Association as well.”

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb