Dear Editor,
Labour day, also known as International Workers Day, is a day to reflect on the social and economic struggles and achievements of workers and Labour Unions the world over.
To many, Labour Day is a day to stay at home and relax. Be that as it may, it is also a time to reflect, plan, discuss, educate, debate and to strengthen our commitment to the struggle for decent pay and decent working conditions on our island, the region and the world. It is a time to draw attention to the ongoing violation of both workers and trade union rights; to lobby and advocate for social justice and human rights with the sole objective of improving the quality of life for all.
In fact, many brave, energetic and community-minded individuals in our society dedicated their entire lives to champion the cause of the workers of St. Martin; the benefits of which we enjoy today! We often give moving speeches about our venerable labour leaders of the past but we must, in good conscience, continue their work. Today, the working class on St. Martin is confronted by a myriad of challenges and grim prospects namely: low-wage jobs that force low-income households to purchase debts; the high costs of living; diminishing job security, the growing informal economy, the lack of decent jobs and the blatant violation of workers’ rights.
Besides that, companies are outsourcing and finding “…economic pressures and in-sufficient savings reinforces concerns, anxieties and fears that the next generation of blue- collar workers of this blessed nation will retire in poverty!”
In our struggle unity is paramount and companies find creative ways to reduce its labour costs. Lifelong employment that was once secure and guaranteed is now “flexible” and “seasonal” with little to no guarantee of becoming a permanent worker within the organisation. Despite the rapid advances in technology and innovation, workers are required to work longer thereby negatively affecting their “work-life balance.”
Furthermore, overtime once considered a good way of earning a little more is quickly eaten up either in taxes or to cover one’s basic needs. The informal economy on St. Martin is not only growing and diverting millions of dollars into the neighbouring islands, but is also stifling the economic growth of the island. The working poor, once hidden in plain sight, is now a common feature among many civil servants and private sector workers alike.
For instance, today many civil servants find themselves “stuck” in the same or incorrect salary scales for years with little to no real opportunity for growth or training in order to expand their knowledge. Worse yet, another group of civil servants, despite receiving excellent evaluations have yet to enjoy the much-anticipated bonus because “Government does not have money,” or the documents simply cannot be located, so forth and so on.
On the other hand, in the private sector we witness the unfair dismissals, unsafe working conditions, illegal immigration, the continued abuse of the six-month contract, outsourcing of local jobs to foreign countries, and age discrimination where persons as young as 40 years of age are sent home because they are “too old”.
In truth, it is not surprising to learn of the many cases where persons have been on a “short term” contract for roughly 10 years and counting. Besides that, young professionals are faced with a totally different and competitive labour market with higher barriers of entry, and large student debts that will certainly slow down their dream of purchasing a home or investing in a small business. While a substantial amount of funds are allocated for public education, many former high school students enter the labour market with insufficient skills and experience leaving them with little hope of gaining even menial employment at times.
Fellow workers of St. Martin, it is tough to remain optimistic on Labour Day when countless families are just one pay-check away from hunger and poverty, and the labour of workers are treated as a mere commodity, a liability or a “mere factor of production” whose worth and value is to be exclusively determined by the “free market” and/or by the workers’ ability to generate. In the final analysis, it is the workers who will ultimately drive and propel the economy and development of this island’s maximum returns on investment for shareholders.
Additionally, who can ignore the fact that wages have not kept up with the high cost of living and the principle of equal pay for equal work, particularly between males and females, is not consistently applied across the board on St. Maarten.
Comrades, the recent increase of the retirement age from 60 to 62 might not necessarily lead to an increase in retirement benefits for pensioners. Consider for a moment if you will that the economic pressures and insufficient savings reinforces concerns, anxieties and fears that the next generation of blue-collar workers of this blessed nation, will retire in poverty.
Moreover, the issue of decent work and the rights of workers, be they full time or temporary workers, is protected and placed extremely high on the evolving policy of agenda Government, the private sector and trade unions.
Beloved reader, it is no exaggeration to say that the perceived shortage of decent jobs and the failure to protect their rights has caused many workers to descend into the informal economy just to make “ends meet.” It is generally recognised by laudable institutions such as the International Labour Organisation, that decent work is vital for economic growth and sustainable development of any county/nation state. It cannot be said enough that as is well documented, the impact of climate change stands to drastically alter if not eliminate communities and employment in the region.
From a shortage of provisions in Dominica, low rice production in Guyana, rising acidity in the Caribbean sea threatens the coral reefs and marine life, to the worst droughts in Puerto Rico and St. Lucia affecting everything from human lives, agriculture i.e. food security, water reserves and livestock. If the reader will only recall that in 2015 a portion of the Great Salt Pond in Great Bay was dried up, unlike anything we’ve seen in years! All of this means that St. Martin, as a one-pillar economy is required is to change, evolve and transition towards a low-carbon and green economy.
Consequently, there is an urgent need for targeted investments in creating green jobs, recycling programmes and environmental reforms in order to reverse, where possible, the undesirable effects of climate change on St. Martin.
Brothers and sisters, in an age of globalisation and free-market liberalism, the need to deepen the unity and creative cooperation within and across the Labour Union movement, in order to strengthen our collective determination is imperative. It is only by joining forces can we effectively organize against very powerful interests, be it within the State apparatus or the private sector.
The future of St. Martin is in the hands of the workers and trade union movement! Be not fooled, the trade union movement is a Government in its own right and as such is best able to advance the interests of workers. Through unity, a common vision and with absolute commitment can the trade union movement on St. Martin bring about social justice for all.
More than that, it is essential that workers play their part by enhancing their participation within the trade union movement on every level whenever the opportunity presents itself.
In light of the aforementioned observations, the unions encourages workers to take advantage of every opportunity to continuously expand one’s knowledge and develop the necessary skills in order to increase one’s productivity and earning potential, and strategically position oneself for career advancement. More importantly, it is critical that workers develop stronger leadership skills and constantly educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities as requirements for good citizenship and the proper functioning of Government and the private sector.
The call for leadership can be heard loud and clear, so let us not play deaf or blind to the grievances or loud whispers of the people that we made an oath to represent according to the highest professional and moral standards. The masses are looking towards the trade union movement and its leadership for direction and action!
In closing, it bears repeating that the future of St. Martin is in the hands of the workers! The WICSU/PSU Union extends its warmest wishes to all the working men and woman of this of this lovely island, St. Martin. Long live the workers of St. Martin! Together we struggle, together we achieve! Unity and solidarity is forever!
W.I.C.S.U./P.S.U. Union Board
Dear Editor,
I visited Anguilla for the first time on May 6. I boarded the last ferry out about 7:10pm. I went across with a friend who is a deejay. He plays there every weekend.
All I was carrying with me was my passport and ID in a small side bag along with a shirt. My friend had his deejay equipment to carry, which was 2 cases, plus his laptop in a haversack. His both hands were occupied so he asked me to hold on to a plastic bag with one pair of used shoes which he would wear for the night.
Upon arrival in Anguilla we both cleared Immigration and next on to Customs. There were two officers on duty doing the checks. I went to the female officer who then asked me what I have to declare. I said to her I had nothing to declare. She then asked me what I was carrying in the plastic bag; I told her a pair of shoes which did not belong to me. I was just helping my friend by holding it for him. She then asked me for the receipt for the shoes, which I told her they were not mine. My friend came across and told her that they belonged to him, which she understood.
I was thinking it was all set for me to leave. She then asked me for the receipt for the shoes I was wearing, which I told her I do not have because I had those shoes for over two years. She had no remorse and wrote me up for an amount of $60, which she said I have to pay immediately for government tax. I said to her I am not paying for what is mine, those are my shoes and it’s totally impossible.
After about an hour and a half still standing at Customs and not giving in she gave me an option – either I leave my shoes at Customs and walk out bare feet or pay up and walk out with them. After a long deliberation some calls were made by her to her superiors and the conclusion was that I could leave, but make sure that when I’m leaving the next morning I present myself at Customs with the same pair of shoes on my feet. They were a pair of black Polo shoes.
A terrible first time experience. I hope it does not happen to anyone else.
Dave Pierre
Dear Editor,
Several years ago, Congress approved a bipartisan agreement for an interim budget resulting from negotiations between Paul Ryan, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives and Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. The main feature of this agreement was the elimination of some of the features of the sequester program which became effective in 2013 and cut expenditures for government programs across the board.
Ryan was willing to agree to the bipartisan plan because under sequester, there were automatic reductions in military expenditures. Patty Murray accepted the plan because it did away with sequester reductions in programs aimed at benefitting the poor and needy in the country, which the Republicans would like to see reduced.
Let’s look at military costs, which the Republicans always promote. First of all, the budget submitted by the Pentagon in 2010 represented slightly more than 20 percent of the total budget. In 2000 this budget was US $294 billion whereas in 2011 it was $710 billion. But when you added other additional military costs enacted by Congress, many involving local programs which benefit well connected constituents, military costs are closer to 50 percent of the total budget. Indeed, total military expenditures in the United States approximate the military budgets of all other countries.
I will focus on just one program enacted by Congress which the Pentagon said it did not need or want. This is the so-called “alternate engine” for the P-35 fighters manufactured by General Electric. The Pentagon already has engines for its new fighter manufactured by Pratt and Whitney. George Bush in 2006 and President Obama in 2009 asked Congress not to fund the alternate engine, but it refused to comply, and in 2011, GE charged $3 billion for its work on what is clearly a redundant and unnecessary military item.
This is just one of a number of Congressional handouts to companies for weapon systems, not wanted by the Pentagon but pushed primarily by Republicans who believe that you never can spend too much on the military, particularly if you help a wealthy constituent financially at the same time. These unnecessary corporate subsidies increase military spending significantly.
The other reason for the large deficit increase over the past ten years is the fact that the US began two unfunded wars (e.g. in 2011 the cost of the war in Afghanastan was $10 billion each month), but beyond that problem, tax revenues have greatly decreased during that period. The revenue in 2010 was the lowest it has been since 1950. This loss has resulted in large part as the result of tax reductions George Bush initiated in 2001 and 2003, which were meant to be temporary.
The Republicans, however, refuse to allow any increases in taxes, even including bringing taxes back to the level they were before those “temporary” reductions.
Increase military expenditures and obstruct any increase in tax revenue: Is this a sound and feasible policy?
Stephen A. Hopkins
Dear Editor,
Telem Group (St. Maarten Telecommunication Operating Company – SMTOC), the government-owned company, is the leading provider of telecommunications services in Sint Maarten. Despite being a leader in the field, for the past decade Telem is without a CEO.
Currently, the company is being guided by a management team chaired by the CFO – Ms. Helma Etnel, a Suriname national. She was appointed by the supervisory board originally chaired by Mr. Rafael Boasman, and now chaired by Mr. Jairo Bloem who finally initiated the CEO recruitment. And that is only the tip of the iceberg for Telem’s poor state.
Telem became an autonomous company with its own managing director and staff due to catastrophic hurricane Luis in 1995. The hurricane caused chaos with widespread service outages and service disruptions. The first managing director without any supervision from Curaçao was Mr. Curtis Haynes who developed Telem’s Internet, mobile and international services. Since his dismissal 10 years ago the company has been without a CEO.
In 1998, the telecommunications market in St. Maarten was liberalized, but Telem failed to seize the opportunity. It entered the market competing against already established players in the industry such as Antelecom -formerly Landsradio- and ECC which was the first mobile operator on Saint Martin. The East Caribbean Cellular, privately owned by US entrepreneur Barfield, is an example to foreign-owned companies in the field, remaining stagnant in the market until sold. In ECC’s case, it was sold for close to US $16 million to Cellular One, and eventually never surviving the GSM wave, went bankrupt.
Inside Telem, Management of the company has not been selected on merit, but with favouritism and political connections instead. Previous managers’ names have been linked to everything from failed television project scandals to recreational travels at the company’s expense and all the way to rumours of romantic involvements with co-workers. Needless to say, pervious management was a failure on the professional side of things as well, not being able to forward the company technologically-wise or in services provided.
A few years ago Peter Drenth, a specialist from the Netherlands was brought in and managed to revitalize a stagnant company. Unfortunately, Drenth’s contract was not extended since he felt the best course of action was for the government to sell the company. It all kept going downhill for the company since.
Today in St. Maarten, home Internet customers are confronted with a plethora of problems on a daily basis, ranging from poor connection, slow speeds to some of the highest service-costs in the region. This is compounded by subpar customer care as the company has proven itself unable to adequately address service outages. Not to mention Telem’s inability to meet the demands of thousands of new customers when the company is plagued by dropped calls, slow mobile Internet, new competition as well as expensive local and roaming rates.
In conclusion, Telem has failed to live up to its mission statement “to be the best service provider in Sint Maarten with the best technology!” and until now is unable to deliver a consistent quality product of internet or mobile affordable to everyone.
The same Telem that is owned by the government of Sint Maarten that should be held accountable for the mismanagement – that was supposed to be a national engine of growth, is a company that is not helping to progress Sint Maarten’s economy. St. Maarten is a top Caribbean destination with great potential, and it deserves first class service from its own company to be provided to its people and its tourists.
Zohar Gurevich
Dear Editor,
Fuel oil currently drives our national economy. If NV GEBE (utility company) did not receive a shipment of fuel for whatever reason, and the company’s reserves were to run out, the country’s economy would come to a complete standstill. This would costs millions of dollars in lost business, and would also have serious consequences for our tourism and travel sector.
