Philipsburg:--- President of the Workers Institute for Organized Labor (WIFOL) Theophillus Thompson has made a call to all workers on St. Maarten to make some sort of donation to the workers of Pelican through their union representative the WIFOL. Thompson made the call during the weekly press conference called by the Windward Islands Chamber or Labour Unions (WICLU) on Thursday.The WIFOL President clarified on Thursday that the WIFOL is confronted with huge legal bills to defend the Pelican workers. Thompson said the WIFOL has called on all its members and not only those working at the Pelican Resort to make a financial contribution to the Pelican workers' cause. "I asked the entire membership of WIFOL to assist since the legal fees are enormous. I am also asking all workers on St. Maarten to put in their ten cents because this is not only a Pelican struggle but its a struggle that will determine job security on St. Maarten for all workers. So we are asking all workers to contribute to this cause. Right now, the companies have the monies and the workers are the weaker vessel in these types of fights." Thompson also confirmed that the WIFOL already started the procedure with the Supreme Court and this he said will cost a huge amount of monies because the union has to have lawyers both on St. Maarten and the Netherlands to defend their cause.
Thompson said that St. Maarten does not have a labour court and the Chamber of Labour Unions raised this issue with the Minister of Labour Cornelius de Weever on Wednesday. "If there was an established labour court on the island the Pelican workers would not have to endure the legal challenges they are facing right now."
Thompson said that right now the Government and the Labour Department are getting involved in trying to find a solution to the Pelican labour dispute. He said in the beginning government and the Labour Department took a "hands off" approach because of the ongoing court cases but he is of the opinion that government has realized that the Pelican saga has reached its climax and the problem will not go away. "We met with the Minister of Labour on Wednesday and he committed himself into finding a solution by bringing all parties around the table. The first meeting took place on Wednesday with the union while the Minister invited the management of SBRMC to a meeting on Thursday. After these meetings the Minister will then schedule a meeting for all parties to get around the table." Thompson said he is hoping that SBRMC will allow the workers to go back to work because they are in the peak season.
