By Farah Bates – As the number of COVID-19 cases in Guyana continues to increase, scores of sugar workers from the Albion Estate Thursday morning protested infront the Estate demanding 2-3 weeks leave with pay.
They are calling on the management to adhere to their plight as they are concerned about the risky environment they are forced to work in.
The entrance to the estate was blocked by the sugar workers with pieces of wood and machinery impeding access to the estate as they stood in solidarity to limit the spread of the viral disease.
Workers expressed their dismay as they are placed in a position where they have to purchase their own hand sanitizer and other anti-bacterial cleaning agents to protect themselves as they work in the field.
Further they explained that even though the estate produces ethanol, they have to purchase it since management is not providing it at a free cost.
Some of the workers who spoke with this newscast stated that GUYSUCO is not taking any precautionary measures to protect them in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus.
The lorries that dispatched workers to and from the backdam usually carries 60 persons, thus making the possibility of contracting the virus even higher due to the limited space available in the lorries.
Workers noted that even though they have to travel daily in the lorries, GUYSUCO has not implemented any measures or given them any protective gear.
They are even more concerned about possibly infecting their families, if they contract the virus which would create havoc in their homes and communities.