Dear Editor,
Notable for some this week, Starz Casino fired some twenty three dealers allegedly for losing US $200.000,-. In a country where unemployment is astronomically high you would think this will get the attention of our government.
Anyway, no elected official found it necessary to get involved as is the norm here. People are advised to go to court, for as far as government is concerned you are on your own. We later learnt that the firing was reversed; dealers will be given other jobs even though lesser ones than they now have. They are asked to accept positions in other establishments as waitresses and slot attendants. In the meantime, we are busy with our version of reform to suit the party leaders; our minister of labour is busy in nonsensical arguments with his predecessor and the suffering of the people only increases.
I don’t believe anyone should be surprised, however, after all it is an election year and party leaders again will be knocking at these businesses for campaign contributions...
From a distance it seems that we the people have nowhere to turn and government is satisfied with how these outsiders treat us. We are bogged down with deals for more casino licences, deals with positions at the NV’s especially GEBE and the airport.
As the trend goes we can expect to see our locals replaced in government and government-owned companies by European Dutch men and Surinamers while in the private sector it’s Chinese, Dominicans and everybody but us.
If there is a time our people should rise up and demand their country back it’s now. Without fear we should shut the country down in protest to the inhumane treatment and disrespect dished out to us and stick it out until we too can put food on our tables and pay school fees. Your government and the high councils are not the answer. People’s power is what counts. Don’t wish you had acted, stand up now and be counted.
Elton Jones
