Union representatives convened a public meeting on Monday for their members.
PHILIPSBURG--The Committee of Civil Servants Unions (CCSU) says it has yet to receive an answer from government on the counterproposal submitted by the unions regarding 12.5 per cent cuts on personnel salaries and benefits.
In a press release from the CCSU on Tuesday, the union outlined the back-and-forth process between the unions and government, which started early May.
First meeting
On Wednesday, May 5, the CCSU Secretariat and its members received an invite from the Council of Ministers to hold an urgent virtual meeting with all unions representing civil servants.
According to CCSU, during this virtual meeting the unions present were verbally informed of specific cuts the Council of Ministers had approved and intended to implement based on the current COVID-19 reality in St. Maarten. CCSU said that Finance Minister Ardwell Irion indicated to the unions that based on the urgency of the matter he hoped that an agreement could be reached during this meeting.
On receiving these measures verbally during the virtual meeting, the unions requested to receive the proposed measures in writing to be able to discuss these with its membership.
According to the release, the unions also informed the Council of Ministers that they would only be willing to continue discussions if the meetings would be held on an official CCSU platform based on the National Ordinance substantive civil servants law LMA, which the Council of Ministers agreed to.
Cost-cutting measures
According to the CCSU, the Council of Ministers submitted the cost-cutting measures on Friday, May 8, at 10:30pm and requested to receive the counterproposal of the unions over the weekend before the tentatively scheduled virtual meeting on Monday, May 11. The measures provided to the unions verbally during the virtual meeting on May 6, were not the same as the measures received digitally.
The unions indicated that they were not able to meet the deadline requested by the Council of Ministers to submit a counterproposal by the timeline given of Monday, May 11, 2020. The unions also informed the Council of Ministers that they were unable to meet on such short notice and requested a meeting date that was feasible for both parties. An official meeting between both parties was held on Wednesday, May 13. During the meeting, the unions sought clarification as to the discrepancies between the original measures and the “discussion paper” submitted.
CCSU said during the virtual meeting between the Council of Ministers and the unions, the unions were made aware of the “incompleteness” of the measures taken up in the “discussion paper” submitted on Friday, May 8.
The unions asked to adjourn the meeting based on the new information provided to caucus with its membership. “Prior to adjourning the meeting, a dialogue took place between one of the unions and the Minister of Finance in which the union representative asked the minister if it would be possible to pay 100 per cent vacation allowance for 2020 and start the negotiations for possible cuts to the vacation allowance of 2021.
“The minister then informed the unions that this was the type of dialogue he was looking for and it is a pity that only at the end of the meeting this type of dialogue is being initiated.” said the release.
Union’s counter proposal
CCSU said on Thursday, May 14, at 11:40pm the unions submitted a counterproposal to the Council of Ministers. “This proposal focused primarily on cost-cutting measures that do not affect the salaries and benefits of civil servants with the exception of the following measures: cutting allowances for civil servants who earn more than NAf. 8,000 until the end of 2020 and reducing all gas vouchers of department heads and secretary generals for 2020 and 2021,” said the release.
CCSU said that on Friday, May 22, another meeting was held. During the meeting Irion asked the unions to disregard the proposals submitted so far by both parties, as it was imperative to make new calculations and proposals based on the agreements made between the Kingdom government and the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten.
The unions urged the finance minister to consider all possible cuts on the personnel package before touching salaries and vacation allowances of civil servants. The finance minister agreed to look into all other personnel costs prior to touching salaries and vacation allowances and requested until 12:00pm on Monday, May 25, to submit a new proposal to the unions.
New proposal
On Monday, May 25, at 3:00pm the new proposal was submitted to the unions to be discussed with their members. This proposal included a cut in over-time, not applicable to front-liners.
According to the CCSU, the minister of general affairs granted the unions permission to discuss the new proposal with their members on Monday, May 25, during working hours from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.
On Thursday, May 28, the unions submitted a counterproposal to the proposal received on May 25 from Irion at 2:36pm. “During a meeting held on Thursday, May 28, after much deliberation, the Council of Ministers and the unions agreed to several other proposals,” said the release.
“However, the minister of finance indicated that cuts still had to be made to the vacation allowance to meet the 12.5 per cent condition of the Kingdom government. At that point, an observer suggested via the unions that are officially represented in the CCSU if it would be possible for the government to still pay the vacation allowances in full, through an ‘I owe you’ structure.”
Irion, at that point, requested a day to submit revised proposals that would contain such structure, under the condition that liquidity would allow such after 2022. The unions in a letter submitted on June 1, at 2:52pm with a counterproposal requesting a deferral of 50 per cent of the vacation allowance in 2020 and 2021, repayment of the deferred vacation allowance by means of payment of vacation allowance at the rate of 125 per cent in 2020 until 2025. According to CCSU, this said proposal is ratified via decree (LBham) by June 30.
No response
The unions requested on Wednesday June 3, via the secretariat of the CCSU, a response from the Council of Ministers regarding their position on the counterproposal that was submitted on June 1, as no response was received.
“According to the Secretariat of the CCSU, a reminder was sent on June 5, to date no response has been given by the Council of Ministers to the unions regarding their position on the counterproposal submitted on June 1,” said the release.
CCSU noted that the CCSU Secretariat functions as a neutral unbiased body that aims to bring the unions represented in the CCSU and the Council of Ministers together in an effort to reach mutual agreements that benefit both parties.
“Based on the different inaccuracies in press briefings, press releases and interviews stating that agreements have been made between both parties, the secretariat felt it necessary to inform the general public and more importantly, the civil servants as to the current state of affairs on the critical matter of cost- cutting measures to personnel costs by 12.5 per cent,” according to the release.
