PHILIPSBURG:--- On 12 April 2023, at around 4:30 pm, the unions NAPB and ABVO, were invited by the Minister of Justice, to have an urgent meeting. During this meeting, certain matters were discussed. It was made mentioned by the Minister and her legal advisor, that additions were being made to the function book. This was a surprise to NAPB and ABVO.
Where is the transparency? Where is good governance? Why wasn’t this matter brought to the CCSU, which already approved the book in 2021? And if changes were to be made, it has to go back to the CCSU. As the meeting progressed, the question was asked about the urgency seeing that the Minister assured, that the process was in its final stages.
The Minister also made mentioned, that she only has a team of four persons working on the issues. Again where is the state of urgency? Issues meaning placement and calculation. Seeing that we have reached the financial part of the matter, the question was asked: "Why isn't the Ministry of Finance helping in/ with this matter?" The minister explained that her team is dealing with the matter because she was not receiving sufficient help from the Ministry of Finance. Again where is a state of urgency to finalize the matters of the Justice workers?
The Minister of Finance stated on the floor of Parliament, a couple of weeks ago, that the money has been budgeted to pay the Justice workers. We do not understand why this same Minister is not helping his sister Minister with the calculations to end this problem at a quicker pace. Towards the end of this meeting, NAPB posed the question about alleged proposals that were made by MP Brison, that came from the minister. The minister made mention of a proposal and explained further that she has a meeting with his excellency A. Baly on Thursday 13th April 2023. The minister assured the unions that she would contact the unions within 24 hours. To this present moment, we have not been contacted by the Minister of Justice. Again, where is the urgency? The boards of NAPB and ABVO will remind the public of Sint Maarten, that their members have been waiting for 13 years. It cannot be tolerated anymore. We wish everyone a safe carnival. We are NOT going to write a 4-page letter; We just want to know WHEN?
NAPB, ABVO.