DUTCH QUARTER:--- A group of 13 customs officers that are currently training at the Police Academy in Dutch Quarter to become full fledged customs officers walked out of their classrooms Wednesday morning and stood at the side of the road in order to show a simple protest against the non-payment of their salaries. Instructor at the Police Academy Straker told SMN News that the Ministry of Justice is currently processing the payments for the customs officers but he is not sure if the workers would get their first salary in time for the Christmas Holidays.
Straker told SMN News in an interview that the workers started working since late October 2013. He said the custom officers worked through the month of November and they were supposed to get their first salary in December. Straker said that the workers could not be paid due to some delay in paper work that had to be taken care of by the Minister of Justice and other staff of the Ministry.
Straker further explained that he contacted the Minister of Justice on Wednesday morning when the customs officers walked out of their classrooms in order to make their concerns known and the Minister promised him that he was working on getting the necessary paperwork to the personnel and the Finance Department of government in order for them to pay the workers.
Straker said he understands the frustration of the customs officers because it's the holiday season and the workers also have bills to pay.
The academy instructor said even though he understood the workers' predicament he spoke to them and informed them that the Minister was busy working on getting their salaries paid. Straker said the workers only stood alongside the road for about 10 minutes and after he informed them that their actions could affect their training and career, they went back to their classrooms.
Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson said in an invited comment that he signed off on the workers' payment and sent it to the Ministry of Finance about midday on Wednesday. Minister Richardson said that he asked the Minister of Finance to do everything in his power to make the payments before the Christmas holidays even if it's an advance payment until their resolutions are finalized. Minister Richardson said the payments for the trainees were delayed due to some administrative hiccups.
During the weekly Council of Ministers' press briefing Minister of Finance Martin Hassink said that he was unaware of the silent protest and the non-payment of the customs trainees' salaries.