Guyana police fire tear gas to disperse protesting sugar workers

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Police in Guyana yesterday fired tear gas to disperse 200 sugar workers who had blocked a main highway in western Guyana in a pay dispute with the state-owned sugar company, AP reported last night.

Officers broke up the protest when the Guyana Sugar Corp. workers refused to move from the road in Wales, 16 miles (26 kilometers) west of Georgetown. The highway connects the capital with the South American country's west coast.

Police detained about a dozen workers and they were expected to be charged with refusing to obey a lawful police order, authorities said. No serious injuries were reported. Leader of the Justice for All Party, Mr. C.N. Sharma, was among those arrested, the Guyana Stabroek News reported.

Workers have said there has been a recent change in the system used for measuring the amount of cane they cut and deliver to the factory, meaning they were earning much less than in the past. Union and company officials did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

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