- Patrick Campbell/Freelance Reporter
The ramshackle wooden barracks on Hampden Estate where some field labourers live.
Erica James-King, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
THREE DAYS ago, he was given marching orders. Barry Greyis an assistant charge hand at the Hampden Sugar Estate. He had supervisory responsibility in the evaporator section of the sugar factory at Hampden Estates in Trelawny.
This 55-year-old man, who hails from St. Ann, has worked with the factory for more than 20 years. For several years, he has also lived at a small house provided by the factory. But all this has changed.
With the factory closing down, on Thursday he received money in lieu of notice. Apart from being out of a job, Mr. Grey now has nowhere to call his own home.
"Persons who are occupying company houses will be contacted with a view of effecting arrangements for same to be vacated," stated the letter that accompanied his and factory co-workers notice pay.
Although Mr. Grey tried to play it cool while he spoke to us, his face mirrored the disappointment he felt, as he spoke about his plight.
"I don't own a house because of the low wages I use to get. All the promises about sugar workers housing scheme have certainly not materialised for me or any other worker at Hampden.
"I still better off than most of my colleagues. I have an adult son who will soon emigrate, so my economic responsibilities are minimal in comparison to some of my former co-workers who have small children. I don't know how they will manage."
Mr. Grey says although he has not started packing up his belongings yet, he believes once he gets the redundancy money, he will have to vacate the premises.
But the 202 factory workers at Hampden who lost their jobs are not the only ones with serious concerns over housing solutions. The just over 300 field labourers at that sugar estate have even more glaring housing needs, since their wages are lower. In fact, those who reside on the sugar estate live in ramshackle wooden barracks.
When The Sunday Gleaner visited the sugar plantation, we noticed that several floor boards had gaping holes and were shaky. The walls, made of board on many of the barracks, hung precariously.
The University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) discloses that when it meets with the management of the Sugar Company of Jamaica tomorrow to discuss the future of Hampden workers, it will be requesting an update on the housing project promised two years ago to those employees, by the Government and sugar interests. In addition, the union says it intends to place on the meeting's agenda, questions about the company's strategies to assist those employees who have lost their jobs.
"Monday morning's meeting will try to reach an agreement between the union and the management of the company on the calculation of redundancy payments for the factory employees. The meeting will also try to arrive at a timetable for the handing out of those payments," revealed Aston Johnson, union organiser with the UAWU .
"We (the UAWU) will be pressing for field workers to be paid severance pay and redundancy payments. We do not feel that only factory workers should be benefiting from redundancy. We believe everyone should be given what is due to them and be allowed to start anew."
Meanwhile, field workers on Friday gathered at the estates demanding that their positions be made redundant and they be paid their redundancy money. The SCJ is giving the assurance that field workers will continue to find employment at Hampden. Reaping and replanting will continue as usual, report-president of finance with the SCJ told The Sunday Gleaner that a "major replanting" programme is slated for Hampden Estates. His comments are in keeping with statements from Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke last week, which outlined that 1,000 hectares of land at Hampden would be put into cane production. The Government contends that it was forced to close the factory because of its whopping indebtedness to the tune of $1.6 billion, as well as its poor performance and inefficiency.
Identity withheld on request.
