Coordinators of St. Maarten Consumers Coalition Claire Elshot and Raymond Jessurun.
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Consumers Coalition questions the solidarity stance taken by the leaders of St. Maarten in Wednesday’s peaceful manifestation.
On Thursday, during its weekly press conference, the Consumers Coalition reiterated the statement made by Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Silveria Jacobs on Wednesday, “We are here in solidarity with our people.” Jacobs along with the other members of the Council of Ministers were present for the march at the border in Bellevue.
However, the Consumers Coalition questioned the validity of this statement. The coalition asked, considering that the Council of Ministers, as proclaimed, is in solidarity with the people, why was this same act of solidarity not displayed by protesting the implementation of the cost-cutting measures in workers’ salaries.
“As co-coordinators of the Anti-Poverty Platform and the Consumers Coalition we have supported the manifestations of the workers since the end of May and in June against the regressive conditions of the Dutch state government imposed on the workers and their households in St. Maarten.”
The coalition further claimed that for several months now it has not seen any form of solidarity from the Council of Ministers for the people of St. Maarten.
“If the Council of Ministers [is – Ed.] in solidarity with the people for their livelihood affected, why the Council of Ministers did not protest and stop the execution of the cost-cutting measures in workers’ remunerations?” questioned the Consumers Coalition.
“Where is the solidarity of the Minister of [Public Health, Social Development and Labour] VSA and the Minister of Finance with the workers and the poor and the needy in this society? Where is the solidarity of the Minister of [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure] VROMI with the poor and needy households in need of better and stronger built homes?
“Where is the solidarity with the workers of the justice chain?
“If they are really in solidarity with the people as they manifested in the unity march yesterday [Wednesday] at the border, they can better start to show their solidarity for the people of St. Maarten with actions. If not, their solidarity manifestation has to be denounced as false, hypocrisy,” claimed the Consumers Coalition.
