In elaborating on the pension reform issue in Wednesday’s press briefing, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs went into criteria for being on the Committee Civil Servants Unions (CCSU), formerly known as GOA. She mentioned representing 10 per cent of the relevant government organisation’s workforce and needing to be locally registered.
The prime minister acknowledged that the latter had meanwhile been done by one of the two Curaçao-based unions, namely ABVO. However, police union NAPB reacted that about a year ago a copy of its registration at the Chamber of Commerce had also been submitted to the Labour Mediator, but – despite being part of the GOA for many years – CCSU membership was still denied because of the representation quota.
While this discussion may be interesting, it deviates attention from the problem at hand. The current draft Pension Ordinance is not – or in any case no longer – supported by CCSU.
One can understand the prime minister’s frustration, because the unions in question agreed to a law proposal without properly studying the content earlier, only to now want to “turn back the clock.” At the same time, her own presentation of the bill in Parliament “with very mixed feelings” indicated government has its doubts, while various legislators including a few from the “Coalition of Eight” already said they would not back what is currently on the table.
In addition to their concerns, those of the General Audit Chamber, Social Economic Council SER and CCSU will have to be addressed. At the same time, General Pension Fund APS urgently needs the reforms including an increase of the pensionable age to 65 particularly due to an ageing population.
It’s no doubt a sensitive subject especially for those directly affected in the immediate future, but ultimately there appears to be little choice other than following the global trend in this regard.
