The Union of Artisans of the Sugar Industry, the most representative unions of Artisans of the Sugar Industry, is making a formal request to you as Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations concerning the working conditions of artisans and sugar industry workers.

We are requesting that you used the power conferred to you under the IRA to direct the National Remuneration Board to review the overall salaries and working conditions of artisans and all sugar industry workers and, to bring along a new Remuneration Order for this work sector.

As you are aware the Remuneration Orders for artisans and sugar industry workers have not been reviewed since 1983 (agricultural) and 1985 (non-agricultural). Since this then, there have been only piece meal revisions of the Remuneration Orders. The latest piece meal revision is your reference to the NRB of implementation issues related to the 40 hours week in the sugar industry. Since 1983 and 1985 there have been one collective agreement in 1994 and various TAP Awards, which have not been integrated within the R.O?s. The non-revision of sugar industry workers R.O. is also detrimental to workers working on seasonal and contractural basis, as acquired rights of sugar industry workers are not being extended to all sugar industry workers.

There are multiple reasons why there is urgency for a general review of salaries and working conditions of workers of the Sugar Industry. Here are some of them:

1. The Sugar Cane Companies have enormously benefited from the implementation of the VRS/BP/ERS, which have been financed 70-75% by the EU fund. Employers have not met this massive redundancy plan with their own fund.

2. Sugar companies are generating huge profits from bagasse/coal electricity production.

3. Sugar companies and cane related companies are deriving huge profits with land morcellement, and this without having paid most of the related land taxes.

4. Sugar companies are reducing to a minimum their permanent labour force and relying on seasonal and contractural labour.

5. Despite the reduction of sugar prices, sugar companies have benefited from the depreciation of the rupee.

6. In 2001, 21 000 workers of the sugar industry produced some 500,000 tones of sugar, while in 2008, the same production was met by 4,500 workers.

7. Besides this, the 4,500 workers, in addition, are also producing special and refined sugar, electricity, thus adding more value to sugar companies.

8. Massive profits generated by the labour force in the sugar industry are been accumulated and invested in other sector of the economy, without a share of this accumulation being transferred to workers of the sugar industry.

9. The sugar companies have benefited from the non-payment of full salary compensation, specially in 2007 and 2008, when the NPC compensations have been imposed.

10. Sugar companies have benefited from various tax concessions for successive years.

We believe it your duty as Minister of Labour to ensure that labour in the sugar industry benefits adequately from the surplus value they are generating.

We are aware that there is backlog of none revision of R.O. and, that the NRB might be overloaded. This is why we support the demand forwarded to you by the FRON Sindikal de Gos, to set up an ad hoc National Salary Commission for Private Sector Workers, to assist the NRB to review all Remuneration Orders.

We hope that you will act and take a positive decision on this issue in the coming weeks.

Serge JAUFFRET

President