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�Shocked that SMMC in the red; talks resumed last night�
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CAY HILL--Workers from all departments at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) assembled and marched around the hospital grounds yesterday protesting what they said had been the labour mediator?s ?disrespectful? indefinite suspension of Tuesday?s scheduled Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) talks.
� The talks resumed last night following the intervention of new Health Minister Cornelius de Weever and are set to continue on Thursday.�
� The estimated more than 100 workers also expressed shock at management?s assertions that SMMC was ?in the red,? and unable to meet their union?s demands though the workers said they had been given the impression that SMMC was financially healthy.
� They also protested what they said had been the dictatorial and intimidating attitude of SMMC General Director Dr. George Scot, and the treatment meted out to hospital staff. ?This is a kick in the shin. It?s not the way you handle negotiations,? said one worker.
� ?Scot must go now - not in December,? said another.
� The workers who said their action was responsible left skeletal staff in place across the board to ensure that critical services were not disrupted. They demanded the resumption of the CLA talks before the end of the day and threatened to step up their action if their demand was not met.
� The protest ended around 2:30pm, after about six hours, when De Weever, who had intervened, said CLA talks would continue at 7:00pm last night.
� Scot and SMMC Assistant Director Bonnie Dekker could not be reached for comment on the matter. Scot?s secretary told The Daily Herald that he had been off- island. Dekker said via the secretary that questions should be directed to the labour mediator. Human Resource/Communications Manager Juliette Hassell also said a close eye was being kept on the situation and further questions should be directed to the mediator.
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In the red
� The protest began after the morning shift. The workers assembled and walked around the hospital and later met with their union representatives in the cafeteria where they aired their concerns.
� According to the workers, a letter was stuck in the door of a union representative informing the union that the CLA talks had been suspended and no date was given for the resumption of the talks.
� A major bone of contention for the workers was what they said was management?s contention that the hospital was in the red and that there was no money to meet the union?s demands.
� The workers said ten years ago they agreed to make sacrifices to help the hospital improve its financial situation and they were shocked to learn that there were now financial difficulties.
� They said the hospital did get out of the red and they were under the impression that SMMC had been a healthy institution. ?It seems as if every time we are ready to discuss a financial package they are in the red,? said one worker.
� ?Who is emptying the coffers?? asked another. ?We don?t care if they are in the blue, black or red; we have sacrificed for ten years, it?s time to give us something.?
� The workers argued that the action of Scot and management does not portray that SMMC had financial issues. They said Scot, for example, travels to the Netherlands first class twice monthly. They alleged that he is sometimes in the Netherlands three weeks out of the month. ?Is the hospital paying for this?? asked one worker.
� The workers also alleged that the overseas workers brought in to work at SMMC are being paid exorbitantly - in some cases double what their local counterparts earn - and get perks such as having their rent, phone, car and tickets for themselves and their families paid. If SMMC is in the red, where is all this money coming from to travel and pay high salaries to overseas workers, they asked. ?They keep bringing in people through the back door and they are saying there is no money.?
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Intervention
� Just before noon the workers invited the minister to visit SMMC to listen to their grievances. If the minister failed to show up, the workers said they would have gone to the Government Administration Building en masse to have a hearing with De Weever.
� The minister visited SMMC shortly after noon and listened to the workers who raised a range of concerns - including questions about whether Scot is registered in St. Maarten or in the Netherlands and about whether it was correct for him to hold the positions of General Director, President of the SMMC Board as well as ?a consultant.?
� Some workers also raised the issue about a gag order being placed on workers and parties involved in the talks not to speak to the media.
� The workers stressed the need to get back around the table yesterday. The meeting with the minister became occasionally loud when individual workers asked when the talks should resume and the workers shouted in unison ?today.? At other points in the meeting workers chanted ?Scot must go now.?
� De Weever said he would try to get parties around the table and he informed the union later in the day that a meeting had been scheduled for last night.
� During last night?s meeting Labour mediators Derrick Holiday and Kenneth Lopes, Labour Department official Rafael Boasman and de Weever met separately with SMMC management and the union.
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Can?t afford proposal
� Scot, in a memo to workers dated March 21, said SMMC couldn?t afford the union?s proposals.
� He said the union brought a proposal to the negotiation table that had been discussed in the presence of the mediator on March 16 and that while management had not rejected any proposal from the union ?the financial proposals from the union are not in line? with certain principles that SMMC has remained consistent on throughout the negotiations. These ?guiding principles? were performance-based evaluation, continued education, scarcity allowance, cost of living adjustment and the financial position of SMMC.
� Scot said ?the implementation of the? salary structure in 2009 and 2010 alone [led] to an increase in personnel expenses by approximately eight per cent. The total personnel expenses for 2010 were NAf. 16.3 million. The union?s proposal would lead to a total personnel expenses of at least NAf. 19.3 million. This represents an increase of at least 18 per cent notwithstanding the accumulated effect of indirect costs and implied costs that have not yet been quantified such as additional free days.?
� Scot said ?SMMC has provided the union with full financial disclosure. Our financial position clearly indicated that we cannot afford the union?s proposal. The disproportional increase in total personnel expenses will lead to a collapse of SMMC. That is the reason that SMMC again proposed to discuss the points of departure regarding the new CLA during the last meeting with the union in the presence of the mediator.
��In addition, SMMC requested that the union provide the rationale for its financial proposal.
� ?We are awaiting the union?s response. Considering the recent action of the union the mediator has suspended the CLA negotiations meetings until further notice. As a responsible employer SMMC has the intention to work together with the union to reach a realistic and sustainable agreement regarding the new CLA,? Scot said.
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