PHILIPSBURG--The Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) will be hosting meetings for the establishment of the Dutch Caribbean Labour Union Platform, March 26-27.
WICLU President Claire Elshot said the idea for this union platform first materialised in discussions at the Caribbean Workers' Council (CWC) in Santo Domingo in November. “This was a decision that was taken after having a meeting with the unions from the Dutch Caribbean,” Elshot said.
Roland “Nacho” Ignacio and Theophilus Thompson are the coordinators of the upcoming meetings, which will be held at the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) building and at the conference room at Holland House Beach Hotel in Philipsburg.
Elshot said regional Dutch unions have been invited to participate in the meetings. Those in attendance will be the Federacion di Trahadornan di Aruba (FTA) from Aruba, Union Sindikal Boneriano (USIBO) from Bonaire, Central General Trahadonan di Corsow (CGTC) and Sentral Sindikal di Korsou (SSK) from Curaçao, and WICLU representing St. Maarten.
Union representatives will be given recognition and participation in discussions between local Governments and the Kingdom Government during these meetings, Elshot said.
Topics of discussion will include social-economic and financial policies and strategies, migration policies and the social, economic, cultural and labour market impact. The unions will also discuss the proposal for reform strategies for labour market policies and the implementation of social agendas for sustainable development programmes.
According Elshot, unions in St. Maarten will receive a formal invitation on February 3.
