Norton plans to downsize sugar industry, place workers in other sectors

An A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Government will downsize the sugar industry and have sugar workers gainfully employed in other sectors of the economy.
This is according to APNU Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton during a radio interview on Guyana Lite FM.
Revitalising the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has been a challenge for both past and present administrations. The former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change government had downsized the industry, claiming that the move was geared at cutting losses. This decision received heavy criticism as no alternative employment was provided for the sacked sugar workers.
According to Norton, an APNU government will have to keep the ailing sugar industry downsized but will train workers to ensure gainful employment in other sectors.
“The sugar industry… we have to keep downsized, but we have to find alternative employment for workers in the sugar industry. We intend to focus significantly on home construction, not only in the sugar industry but in other industries. We can take people from that sector and train them in the construction field and other fields that can help Guyana,” he said.
Norton said that his party will focus on making the sugar industry the “right size” to ensure it is viable and not a drain on the treasury.
Respective APNU+AFC and PPP governments have pumped billions of dollars into the industry to keep it afloat as it grapples with various challenges.
Meanwhile, GuySuCo and the Guyana Agricultural and Workers Union (GAWU) are currently in discussions addressing the issue of wages/salaries bunching, a public letter from the company stated. They said they also met with workers from the Albion Estate who recently downed tools over increased pay demands.
Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Paul Cheong, disclosed recently that over the past five years, the corporation recorded a steady decline in the number of harvesters working the fields, thus affecting productivity. He indicated that the sector was seemingly being abandoned, as younger workers in particular are opting for more lucrative jobs in other industries.