PHILIPSBURG--Three unions representing teachers and civil servants on Thursday declared a "national crisis" as they intensified efforts for government to address the grievances of their members.
The unions' declaration came after an estimated 260 teachers and civil servants, who had met with them during work hours on Thursday, rejected Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto's proposal made during a meeting with the unions on Wednesday. The workers will meet again at John Larmonie Centre this morning at 7:30am.
At a joint press conference yesterday, Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), ABVO union and the Windward Islands Civil Servants Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU) condemned reports of union busting tactics and intimidation reported by some of their members on Wednesday. "This is a national crisis," said WITU President Claire Elshot. "We feel strongly that laws should be put in place to protect our workers."
The three unions encouraged all civil servants and teachers to attend the meeting in large numbers today. The details of the counterproposal will be finalised today and it will be ratified and sent to the Minister. The Minister will be given an ultimatum with a time frame within which Shigemoto should respond to the union. Elshot said the length of the ultimatum will be determined today.
The workers had been meeting with their union from 7:30am and left when the meeting ended after the joint press conference around 5:00pm. When the union representatives were asked whether the meetings would continue until their demands were met, the group of workers at John Larmonie Centre at the time responded by shouting in unison, "Yes, yes, yes."
"Our members have spoken clearly," Elshot said, adding that workers would like government to live up to the earlier agreement and pay them their full 5.3 per cent cost of living adjustment. The Council of Ministers and Parliament changed the agreement and decided to split the payment for teachers to receive 2 per cent this year and 3.3 per cent in 2012. It had been taken as a measure to balance the 2011 budget. National Alliance (NA) did not vote for the split when it had been tabled as part of the budgetary measures in Parliament.
Elshot said the unions received reports of intimidation, with some workers being told that they would be fired on the spot if they skipped work. She said the unions would not accept this. She said they would make use of their regional and international partners and connections to protect their members from intimidation and to uphold their rights to meet as is enshrined under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions that govern the rights of workers.
Education International, Caribbean Union of Teachers, Caribbean Public Services Association and Public Service International were some of the organisations that the union representatives said intimidation would be reported to. They said that Country St. Maarten has to start acting like a country.
The various school boards will be informed about today's meeting, so that teachers and civil servants can be allowed to attend.
United People's (UP) Member of Parliament (MP) Romain Laville and National Alliance (NA) MP George Pantophlet addressed the workers during their meeting yesterday and expressed solidarity with them.
WICSU/PSU General Secretary Juliette Greene-Blijden said the meetings were a joint initiative and the three unions ere in solidarity with each other. She said Country St. Maarten was sold to the people as an improvement, but she noted "what we are seeing are austerity measures," which she said the unions reject.
ABVO Adviser Sjaoel Richardson said his union is in "total support" of the exercise.
Elshot said contrary to reports from Shigemoto, WITU did not learn about the 5.3 per cent cost of living adjustment split until January 14 and not in December as Shigemoto had stated.
Richardson said WICSU/PSU had sent Shigemoto a letter in November, requesting to be part of the cost cutting discussions. He said the union had anticipated that issues were likely to arise. The Minister had not responded to the union's request, Richardson said.
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