Philipsburg:--- Minister of Economic Affairs Franklin Meyers told members of the media on Wednesday during the council of ministers press briefing that he made a grave mistake when he announced that employers should pay their workers 300% for working on St. Maarten's Day. Minister Meyers said he made a special ministerial decree to allow the stores in Philipsburg to open on St. Maarten's Day due to the economic situation. He said in the decree he said that if employees chose to work they would be compensated 300% however, that was mistake for which he apologized to both the workers and the employers.He said while he has the power to open the stores through Ministerial decree he has no power on how much workers are to be paid. Meyers said that must be regulated by Parliament which has to be regulated by law; currently the law states that workers who work on public holidays are to be paid 200% to 250% for some cases. Workers who worked on St. Maarten Day should not expect nothing more than that amount Meyers said for the workers to get 300% a parliamentary procedure was necessary and it was not done. The Minister apologized for the error to which he has taken full responsibility. He said country status is new to everyone including the council of ministers and as such this is a learning process. The Minister said before making such announcements in the future and if such a decision has to be taken he will make sure the necessary parliamentary procedures are in place. He made clear that allowing stores to open on St. Maarten's Day was something he did in good faith to stimulate the economy. In the meantime, workers of the Princess Juliana International Airport has sent a letter to the management of PJIAE demanding that they be paid 300% for working on St. Maarten's Day. Asked about that the Minister said that the Ministerial Decree was for the Philipsburg area and not for all over the island. He said the airport and other workers who had to work on that day did not come into consideration in the Ministerial decree.
