Workers vex over land allocation

Hundreds of former employees were invited by Deosaran Jagroo, Caroni (1975) Ltd CEO, to make themselves available yesterday morning to draw for new plots to be witnessed by personnel from Price Waterhouse.

But when they arrived at the venue, the former workers refused to draw for their lots stating they wanted the original plots allocated to them.

The agricultural plots were allocated last August, but since then, it was decided that Government wanted to expand the Pt Lisas Industrial Estate and in the expansion programme, the two-acre agricultural plots already agreed upon, would be used in this expansion.

Junior Finance Minister Christine Sahadeo, told the employees Government’s plan for the previously allocated lands during a meeting last month at Gilbert Park in California. But that meeting ended in chaos with workers saying they would not accept new locations saying the new plots of land were too far from where they lived.

The ex-Caroni workers’ spokes-man Boysie Ramnanan told Newsday that yesterday’s meeting was “just a continuation of the meeting” held at Gilbert Park in California. “Our decision is the same as that which was taken at the last meeting.”

“We want the two-acre plots which we previously agreed to and we are refusing any attempt at relocation because our feelings expressed at the last meeting with the Minister (Sahadeo) have not changed,” Ramnanan said.

He added that the workers spelled out clearly, their problems and concerns to Sahadeo and “Government should understand if promises were made and lands already allocated and witnessed,” the only option is to distribute the lands.

“Government should be aware of their expansion programme long ago and if they wanted the lands in question they should not have done the allocation. It is a clear case of betraying the sugar workers,” Ramnanan said.