Philipsburg: ---- President of the Windward Island Civil Servant Union (WICSU/PSU) William Reed reacted to information regarding his members at the St. Maarten Tender Services, which he claimed are untrue. Reacting to statements made by the adviser of the United Federation Union (UFA) Willy Haize, Reed denied all allegations made by the UFA and said that Haize is involved in some sort of conspiracy with the owner of Connecting Waves N.V (new tender service company) that is now operating at the harbour. Reed said a good friend of Willy Haize owns Connecting Waves and as such, Haize is now putting pressure on St. Maarten Tender Service, which would eventually benefit his friend Toochie Meyers. Reed said the situation that exists now is that Haize negotiates for Meyers and is now going to be negotiating for Tender Services, which would put additional pressure on the owner of St. Maarten Tender Services Bobby Velasquez.
As per the workers of the St. Maarten Tender Service Reed said, they were demanding a 50% increase, which he explained to them, was virtually impossible. The WICSU/PSU president said the tender services workers mislead him by withholding information from him regarding the benefits they are getting by working with Tender Services. He referred to the “tip box” which the workers of Tender Services are getting on a daily basis; something that was not part of the Collective Labour Agreement neither the retroactive payment, which he said was paid out to all workers as, agreed upon. Reed said based on the insistence of the workers demand of 50% increase the negotiations dragged on for nine months. He said after all of this transpired he was informed by the government mediator that the workers from Tender Services wanted a referendum since they signed up with the UFA.
Reed said the owner of St. Maarten Tender Services Bobby Velasquez made sure his workers have a pension fund, insurance policy reaching up to $100,000. Tender Services also pays for the processing of working permits for its workers without demanding re-imbursement, while the workers have a tip box that is not declared. Reed said there is more in the mortar besides the pisel regarding the workers of Tender Service and what is happening today is completely unethical while there is a conspiracy taking place with the UFA and Connecting Wave.
Asked to explain what the conspiracy between UFA and Connecting Waves is, Reed said the UFA would put undue pressure on St. Maarten Tender Services, which would eventually force the St. Maarten Tender Service out of business. He said he believes that both Haize and Meyers has worked on this plan and is now busy executing it. A referendum is scheduled to be held sometime in September Reed said but no definite date has been fixed yet. Reed said the WICSU/PSU has a three year Collective Labour Agreement with St. Maarten Tender Services.
Non-Payment of Monies
Asked if the statements made by his members regarding the non-payment of monies that was transferred from Bobby’s Marina to the account of WICSU/PSU. Reed said if the workers were not paid then they should challenge him.
Reed said he has list with the names of the workers who all signed for their monies, which he intends to make available to the media. The unionist said he is very disappointed with the members of the Tender Services who have been giving the UFA misleading information. He said his members from Tender Services have no reason to leave but they are now creating reason to leave his union to go to another union for representation.
St. Maarten Tender Service Plans to Lay off Workers
In the meantime, labour mediator Kenneth Lopes has served WICSU/PSU with a letter sent to the Federal Labour Department by the St. Maarten Tender Services that indicated that the company is planning to lay off some its workers.
The letter to the labour department dated August 12th states that since the operation of Connecting Waves (new tender service company) the St. Maarten Tender Service has lost at least 50% of its business, which is now forcing them to lay off some of their workers. The company plans to make up a list with the names of the workers they are planning to lay off due to the lost of business.
In an invited comment, Bobby Velasquez said the company plans to lay off at least 12 out of its 34 workers. Velasquez did not divulge much information due to the fact he did not submit the official list to the labour department. The businessman said he plans to pay out all workers his company intended to lay off according to the island’s labour laws.
SMN News also learnt that St. Maarten Tender Services plans to file a court case against the A.C Wathey Cruise Facility who has taken it upon themselves to divide the amount of passengers that travels with the two tender service companies.
Reed said St. Maarten Tender Services are not able to pay any more over time to its workers due to the recession and shortage of passengers. The unionist said the businessman used to pay his workers for hours they were not working all of which the businessman said cannot continue for the lack of business, which has been reduced by 16%.
Reed said the employer is still paying the workers their regular salaries but indicated that they will no longer be paid over time when they are not scheduled to work.