PHILIPSBURG--The various unions in St. Maarten want a workgroup formed to work out the payment of the outstanding Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to workers.
Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Union (WICLU) President Claire Elshot said the unions had sent a joint letter to Prime Minister William Marlin requesting the formation of a workgroup for this purpose. The request is for COLA for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 to be addressed.
The joint letter, which was sent earlier this year, was signed by the presidents of Windward Islands Civil Servants Union/Private Sector Union (WICSU/PSU), Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), ABVO St. Maarten union and Nationale Algemene Politie Bond (NAPB) St. Maarten police union. “We are asking for the installation of a workgroup with members from finance to come up with an advice on the way forward for COLA and its payments,” said Elshot, who is also WITU President.
Up to the time that Elshot spoke to this newspaper recently, the unions had not received a response from government to its request.
Elshot said it’s time for parties to sit and address this issue. She had planned to raise it at a meeting of the advisory body to government on civil servants matters GOA. “It is important for this matter to be addressed, so that the purchasing power of workers can be better, as well as their power to better take care of their responsibilities,” Elshot said.
Source: Daily Herald
Unions want workgroup formed for outstanding COLA payments
