PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper has dispatched a letter to the Minister of VSA Richard Panneflek advising him not to sign off on any mass layoffs as the government is still busy working on a stimulus package to assist employers.
Buncamper said hotels and other employers have sent home their workers since mid-March some with pay and some without pay. He said so far over 9000 persons registered to receive food packages from the government either because they are unable to buy food or out of work.
The self-explanatory letter is below.
Minister of Public Health, Labor and Social Affairs
Mr. Richard J.J. Panneflek
Government Administration Building
Soualiga Boulevard #1
St. Maarten
Ref: Illegal labor dismissal and rising unemployment
Philipsburg April 18th 2020
Honorable Minister Panneflek,
Since the reaching of COVID19 to our shores here in St. Maarten there’s much unrest and uncertainty in the business world globally and locally. This uncertainty has led to many business owners starting to send home employees in ways that do not adhere to the laws of this country. While I understand that businesses are in business to make money they have an obligation by law to follow the procedures as set forth by law regardless of the situation.
The government through the Minister of Finance is finalizing a stimulus plan to help the businesses and residents of this country to cope with the projected hardships in the next 3 months. It’s with this backdrop that I ask of you not to grant any dismissals at this point in time and have the businesses make use of the payroll support.
Presently we can read in the media of hotels and many companies sending letters to their employees asking them to sign such letters to terminate all working relationships with the companies. To my understanding since mid-March many businesses have already sent home employees some with pay and some without pay, when the flights and cruise ships basically stop calling to the island. The food drive registration of some 9208 persons must be a clear sign that people need food and most probably cannot afford to purchase it.
The dismissal (illegal) practices should be stopped instantly and I believe your intervention as Minister to address this matter is urgently needed. Mass dismissals will only lead to unrest in the country, something we can ill afford at this time or anytime in general.
The unemployment is rising by the day as these matters go unresolved and this means that the government will need to make additional provisions on its already meager budget to accommodate such a significant rise in unemployment. It’s with this in mind that I ask how much involvement is there regarding your ministries input in the stimulus plan regarding the unemployment aspect in the stimulus.
Lastly I ask that your ministry takes the lead on creating an workers payment fund (to cover the huge unemployment group) for the event that the recovery takes longer than the lifespan of the stimulus plan presently being prepared. The manner of funding the fund can be discussed as in my opinion the wellbeing of the workers lies in your portfolio under the heading of labor policies and the labor laws of the country.
Awaiting a positive response most soonest I remain,
Kind regards,
_______________________
Claudius A. Buncamper BSc.
Member of Parliament
