Monday afternoon’s meeting with Préfet Serge Gouteyron and the delegation of collectives succeeded in securing a meeting with Gouteyron, President Gibbs and elected officials this morning Tuesday. (Le Pélican photo)
MARIGOT--After two aborted meetings, on Friday afternoon and again on Monday morning, the delegation from the collectives has agreed to a meeting at 9:00am, today, Tuesday, with Préfet Serge Gouteyron and President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs, the objective of which is to start negotiating on a number of topics affecting St. Martiners.
The three main collectives Soualiga United, Soualiga Grass Roots Movement and United People working for St. Martiners UPTSM initially came together to support the union UNI.T 978 during the two-month-long Collectivité strike and to add a number of other grievances.
Friday afternoon’s meeting did not get underway because President Gibbs was not present and Monday morning’s meeting was cancelled after a few minutes when the delegation objected to Gibbs bringing a number of technicians from various departments to sit with him around the table.
However, the delegation’s main objection was about the Gendarmes present outside the Préfecture and at other points in Marigot on Monday morning, which it said brought an atmosphere of “repression” and was “not the conditions” for negotiating in tranquillity and respect that the delegation had anticipated.
The delegation also claimed truck drivers had been “harassed” by Gendarmes.
“When we agreed to remove the roadblocks, our understanding with the préfet on Friday was to have a meeting today in a climate of understanding and mutual respect,” Lenny Mussington of Soualiga United told reporters.
“To our great surprise, this morning St. Martin people are under siege with Gendarmes everywhere. And truck drivers are being targeted. In our opinion, the conditions for peaceful and intelligent dialogue have not been met. The préfet’s reversal of his attitude on Friday is unacceptable.”
Luc Wellington of UPTSM called it a “breach of the agreement.”
Despite the meetings getting off on the wrong foot, Gouteyron invited the delegation back to the table in the afternoon in an attempt to find common ground. However, the afternoon session was largely taken up with the delegation justifying why they had walked out of the morning meeting in the first place.
Mussington reiterated it was unacceptable that truck drivers should be “harassed and intimidated.” One truck driver at the meeting testified that he had been controlled four times on one route. Another truck driver reminded that trucks play a very important role in delivering food and goods on the island.
“We don’t want war, but we deserve respect,” he said.
Cédrick André of UPTSM said the delegation felt “deceived” and that a different “energy” to the proceedings had been detected. He stressed that St. Martiners are suffering and that actions and solutions are needed.
Gouteyron listened to all the remarks before stating he had cleared his agenda to accommodate the delegation’s wishes. As a result, the meeting will take place this morning, Tuesday, with the delegation and President Gibbs, and at the insistence of the delegation, with elected officials of the Collectivité, and not technicians.
