PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams in her presentation at the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing on Wednesday dealt with the unsolicited advice of the SER "FLEXICURITY" that also had in it the issue of short term labor contracts. Wescot Williams said this is an election year and while she agrees with the premise of the advice given by the SER with regards to labor contracts and labor arrangements, all parties need to be involved and make their position clear.
She said St. Maarten is in an election year and just like all previous years the issue of short term contracts will be raised again and it is important that government and political factions make their position on this issue clear. She said they recognized the need to peruse the labor contracts from a broad perspective and to take into consideration the flexiblization of the labor market. Therefore, they are convinced that the amendment to the civil code to address short term contracts has to be looked at in a more comprehensive way. She said the advice of the SER gives the basis for just that. Shortly government will be giving its reaction to the advice of the SER which she said is the right approach.
As for the draft law on the civil code that will address the abuse of short term contracts, Minister of Labor Cornelius de Weever said that the draft law submitted by the National Alliance faction of Parliament to curb the abuse of short term labour contracts is in its final process. The Minister further stated that the draft law was amended and revised by the labor Ministry and it is now by the Ministry of Justice for finalization. He said he believes that they had to deal with all the issues with short term contracts simultaneously in order to block loop holes such as the abuse of employers who use job placement agencies to hire workers.