The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has rejected claims that it avoided responsibility or misrepresented conditions in the sugar industry, describing recent criticisms as distorted and unsupported by verifiable data.
In a letter published in response to commentary by Lancelot Hyman, GAWU President Seepaul Narine said the union was compelled to address what it views as “contentions advanced by the letter writer” that do not align with reality.
Narine said Mr Hyman mischaracterised the union’s 2025 end-of-year statement, particularly on sugar production. He noted that GAWU never claimed output was at its highest level in recent years, but only acknowledged that production in 2025 was higher than in 2024.
“The Union did not express the view that sugar output was at its highest levels in recent times. We did acknowledge that sugar production was higher than the 2024 output,” Narine wrote, questioning what he described as “revisionism” in Hyman’s response.
Addressing claims that some 400,000 tonnes of cane went unharvested in 2025, Narine said the union does not possess such data and therefore cannot comment on the figure or the financial losses alleged. While acknowledging that quantities of cane were left in the fields and are to be harvested this year, he said the scale of the loss cited by Hyman was unsupported.
Narine also challenged the financial calculations referenced, stating that the implied cane-to-sugar conversion ratio “does not align with real data during 2025,” adding that it appeared Mr Hyman was “either misled or was engaged in mischievousness.”
Contrary to assertions that worker participation was weak, the GAWU President said turnout during the crop improved, attributing this to deliberate efforts to boost productivity rather than chance.
On the issue of former GuySuCo Agriculture Director Vishnu Panday and the non-renewal of his contract, Narine said Hyman’s comments lacked context, pointing readers to a GAWU statement issued on October 28, 2024, which outlined the union’s position.
Narine further highlighted developments affecting workers, noting that in 2025 the minimum wage in the sugar industry rose to $100,000 per month. He said sugar workers are now in the third year of a multi-year collective agreement which will see them benefit from an additional $5 billion overall, alongside improvements in occupational safety and health, grievance resolution and other benefits.
“We thank Mr Hyman for his letter, although we note that several of his contentions require careful re-examination and alignment with reality,” Narine stated, adding that the union remains committed to protecting workers’ rights and securing further gains for its members.
Hyman’s original letter accused GAWU of inflating modest improvements, failing to mobilise workers, and aligning itself too closely with political and managerial interests, while questioning the union’s credibility and effectiveness within the sugar industry.
