Philipsburg:--- The Windward Islands Civil Servant Union (WICSU/PSU) and the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) are scheduled to meet on Thursday with the Human Resources department of Government (POA) to find a solution to the Cost of Living Allowances that will not be paid out to the civil servants and teachers come January 2012.President of the Windward Island Teachers Union Claire Elshot told members of the media during a press conference called by the Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) that they recently received a letter inviting them to a meeting to discuss a decision taken by the Council of Ministers not to pay out the cost of living allowances for 2010 since it was not budgeted for 2012. Elshot said that the Council of Ministers took an independent decision to not pay out and budget the cost of living adjustment even though there was a positive advice given by the GOA which is signed by the Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto.
The union representatives and the government of St. Maarten (Council of Ministers) agreed earlier this year to pay civil servants and teachers their cost of living allowances after the teachers and other civil servants protested the lack of the COL payment. The Government of St. Maarten agreed to pay the COL for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 during the month of June this year, while the 2010 payment would be made in January 2012. Elshot said the unions even received a letter from the Prime Minister informing them that based on the GOA advice the COL for 2010 will be 3.2% added to their salaries.
The union leader said the only comment on the signed advice from the Minister of Finance was asking the union and the advisory body not to make the advice public prior to the passing of the 2012 budget. She said the unions respected the Minister's wishes because they did not even inform their members and school boards about the signed advice.
The Chamber of Labor Unions stressed on Wednesday that there has been a severe lack of social dialogue on St. Maarten and the current situation will cause social unrest. Elshot hinted that the civil servants and teachers had to take action before they were paid for the prior years and it appears as though they would have to do the same thing to get their 2010 payments.
Elshot said right now there are labor concerns both in the public and private sector and the labor organization is prepared to deal with what is before them.
Elshot further explained that the labor situation on St. Maarten has become very worrisome. She lamented the fact that St. Maarten is now a country yet the Parliamentarians who are supposed to draft laws and amend the current laws to protect the working class are not doing their jobs. "Some of them have three and four jobs while collecting $10,000.00 salary from government yet they want to dip their hands into the civil servants pockets. Government chose to rent a building for $99,000.00 a month even though they know that Jack cannot live in a house he cannot afford."
The WITU President said the unions namely the WICLU will be meeting with Minister of Labor Cornelius de Weever and they intend to inform him of their plans to address parliament on their matters of concern. One concern raised by the members of the WICLU is the abuse of the six months contract. "One would think that it is only the private sector is abusing the six month (short term) contracts but government is also abusing it since they are no longer hiring people on a permanent basis. Elshot categorized the labor situation as being out of balance since there is far too much youth unemployment. "Generally, too many people are unemployed since persons over 40 years of age can no longer find work. In the casino industry, workers are being rotated. Dealers and cashiers are sent home for as long as six months while these casinos open year round." Elshot said the current situation cannot continue because it's affecting everyone's lives. Workers she said are living from pay check to pay check since cost of living on St. Maarten is skyrocketing.
In the meantime, President of the Workers Institute of Organized Labour (WIFOL) Theophilus Thompson described the labor situation on St. Maarten as one that lacks social dialogue. Thompson said there should be no decision making without consultation with all social partners. Therefore, the Windward Islands Chamber of Labor Unions (WICLU) has decided to hold weekly press conferences where they intend to highlight the workers plight throughout the island.Thompson said the labor situation has not improved, he said right now the department of labor has collapsed since they are now sending the unemployed to the Employment Agencies to find work. These agencies he said are taking 35% of the worker's salary. The unions describe the Employment Agencies as lucrative business. Thompson said the labor department (mediator) also does not function since St. Maarten achieved its new status and this will cause widespread labor unrest on the island. "The non-functioning of the labor department and mediator will cause labor disputes to escalate which will lead to social and labor unrest." He said the labor department is not functioning because the workers did not receive adequate training prior to St. Maarten becoming a country. He charged that the government of St. Maarten is secretly introducing new policies at the department which are not public. He said workers cannot obtain legal aid from the labor department which to him is discriminatory towards the workers. During the days of the federal government workers were able to obtain legal aid despite their color or creed, that he said, is no longer the case because of a new policy that has been introduced.
As for obtaining social aid or social assistance, a new policy was introduced making it impossible for the unemployed to obtain social assistance. He said the Minister of Labor Cornelius de Weever is fully responsible for the department's failure due to the lack of vision. Thompson said the unemployed are supposed to be registered at the labor department and while that is done, the unemployed are referred to the employment agencies if they want to find work, this practice he said is a concern to the unions. He described the tactics at the labor department as wrong since all of it is in contraction of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO he said stipulates that workers must have proper and gainful employment so that they can contribute to the development of their country. The ILO also establishes that there must be social dialogue to prevent war and social unrest, Thompson stressed.
