PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, June 19, 2020, Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper sent a letter to the Minister of TEATT, (Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunications, and Transportation) Ludmila de Weever, and the minister of VSA (Public Health, Labor and Social Affairs) Richard Panneflek, requesting clarification on information obtained regarding salaries of the workers at the Towers of Mullet Bay. MP Buncamper mentioned in his letters to the ministers that the information obtained concerns, among other matters, the salaries of the workers of the Towers at Mullet Bay which had been cut by 50% since March 2020 and claims by a particular timeshare owner that part of the maintenance fees is used for ensuring the property, while no insurance pay-outs were made after the property was damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
The MP also queried whether the company had requested financial payroll assistance through the SRRP plan and if this request was granted. He further inquired about the policy applied by the management of the Towers at Mullet Bay to decrease the workers’ salary by 50%. “After the passing of the two hurricanes in 2017 the workers were paid their full salaries up to February 2020”, the MP noted and wondered “So, what is the reason for the sudden change in March 2020?”
Base on the contents of a letter sent to one of the local newspapers by a timeshare owner, the MP questioned the minister of TEATT on the legality of the Towers at Mullet Bay operating as a hotel in addition to a timeshare property.
MP Buncamper said that he will await the ministers’ response before addressing other similar matters that also have his attention.
Minister of VSA
Mr. Richard J.J. Panneflek
Government Administration Building
Soualiga Boulevard #1
St. Maarten
Ref: Questions regarding the Towers at Mullet Bay
Philipsburg June 19th, 2020
Honorable Minister Panneflek,
I have received information through the employees working at The Towers at Mullet Bay, a timeshare owner and other reliable sources, that the workers at The Towers at Mullet Bay are being paid 50% of their salaries since March 2020. The property was damaged by Hurricane Irma and Maria in September 2017. Since then, up to February 2020, the workers were paid their full salaries.
1. Has the Towers at Mullet Bay applied for financial salary assistance through the SRRP plan? If so, was their request granted?
2. Based on which existing law or policy has the management of the Towers of Mullet Bay been able to decide to decrease the workers’ salaries to 50% from March 2020?
3. Was special permission granted by the government to allow such or is the Towers in gross violation of the labor laws on the island?
4. Isn’t the Towers obligated to pay the full salary of the employees unless mutually agreed upon? Must a signed document be the underlying document for such?
5. What’s the government planning on doing in such cases when these types of abuse is encountered?
6. Did the Towers apply for dismissal of any employees? If yes how many?
Respectfully,
___________________
Claudius A. Buncamper
Member of Parliament
Faction Leader, United St. Maarten Party
Minister of Tourism, Economy, Aviation, Traffic & Telecommunication
Ms. Ludmilla de Weever
Government Administration Building
Soualiga Boulevard #1
St. Maarten
Ref: Matters at the Towers of Mullet Bay
Philipsburg June 19th, 2020
Honorable Minister De Weever,
A timeshare owner of the Towers in her letter dated June 15th, 2020 addressed to “The Editor”, the timeshare owner mentioned that part of the maintenance fee that each owner pays goes towards insurance of the property. Yet, no insurance pay-outs were made after the hurricanes in 2017 and the property remains unavailable to the timeshare owners. The author alluded that the timeshare owners have received information that property is being used as a hotel and questions the legal grounds for this.
1. If, according to the timeshare holder’s letter, the property is indeed operating as a hotel, is this legally allowed based on their operating license?
2. What’s the position of the government seeing the timeshare owner is basically stating that they are being lied to and basically cheated out of their investment they made in the Towers as a timeshare owner?
3. Has the towers ever applied for a rebuilding permit seeing the claim that they are still seemingly rebuilding the property?
4. Is government going to guard another Mullet Bay saga with the timeshare owners and the property developer/owner?
Respectfully,
___________________
Claudius A. Buncamper
Member of Parliament
Faction Leader, United St. Maarten Party
