Now church jumps into Caroni fray

THE PRESBYTERIAN Church has shifted gear and jumped straight into the Caroni workers’ fray, according to the church’s official organ. “We are now compelled to speak out in the absence of a clear, distinct and well-enunciated plan by the Government on the future of sugar workers and canefarmers,” the Synod of the Church said in a statement. The Church is calling on Government to disclose its plan for the utilisation of 77,000 acres of land, formerly held by Caroni (1975) Limited. It also wants to know what will happen to the thousands of canefarmers who, the church claims, now dwell in a virtual twilight zone, especially with respect to the 2004 crop. The unresolved pension issue facing sugar workers is also of concern to the Presbyterian Church.

On the question of distribution of lands, the Presbyterians want to know the basis on which this will be done and whether mechanisms are being employed to ensure transparency and equitable distribution of the lands. In respect of canefarmers, the Church wants to know how this group will be affected by the 2004 crop, how cane would be transported from field to factory, especially in respect of north and deep south farmers and what would be the purchase price of cane. The Church hopes that financial considerations were not paramount in the closure of Caroni. “We raise this in view of a press release by the newly-formed Sugar Management Company which speaks boldly of output targets but is vague in, among other things, the number of workers to be re-employed, whether such employment will be permanent or contractual and what criteria will be used for employment.

It is noted that there isn’t a public relations department of the Government to answer many questions which have surfaced over the past months. The Church says it stands ready to assist all affected sugar workers and canefarmers in whatever way it can, to address their concerns. “Therefore, we are offering our schools and church halls as meeting places for the purpose of collectively addressing the problems faced by these workers. The Church wondered whether a financial burden was removed and replaced by a “more onerous burden. In a preamble to its statement, the Presbyterian Church made it clear that for more than a century, it established itself as a caring church in Trinidad and Tobago, imparting sound theological doctrines and embracing social responsibility in all forms. It said it became involved in the plight of sugarcane workers in the early eighties, and during their years of strike action, established feeding centres and distributed clothing and school books to affected families and children. “We have always spoken candidly and fairly and without fear on issues affecting the national community,” it added.