GAWU head confirms sabotage attempt at Enmore sugar factory

Last Updated on Monday, 17 August 2015, 22:37 by GxMedia

by Zena Henry

Upon making checks, head of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) Komal Chand has confirmed that there had been attempts to sabotage sugar operations at the Enmore Sugar Estate, an entity of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCO).

The attempt to damage the factory’s equipment has come at a time when government is trying desperately to keep the highly indebted sugar industry afloat pending a definitive course of action based on findings and recommendations by a Commission of Inquiry.

Last week reports surfaced that a heavy metal object had been placed among sugar cane stalks ready to be dumped over into grinders that will crash the cane.

When asked for an update on the matter and whether there was any truth to the report Chand told Demerara Waves Monday August 17, “Yes, yes, there was a boulder in the punt.”

He said however that, “It is very, very difficult to find out who did it.” The long standing sugar workers representative opined that the item placed in the punt, “was so heavy that it had to have been placed there by more than one person.”

Chand had called for an investigation into the sabotage act stating that the move by the culprit or culprits would further harm the ailing sugar sector.

 “We condemn any attempt to destroy or hinder production at the factory,” he told this news agency. He charged that, “At the end of the day, the main victims of any sabotage will be the workers, who have been home for weeks awaiting harvesting.”

Chand had said that the attempts were “totally unacceptable,” and called for the investigation. He said he would be making checks to find out what progress has been made with the probe.