WILLEMSTAD – The customs personnel strike in Curaçao has escalated. Employees gathered once again this morning for the second day in a row at the customs office in Nieuwe Haven, where they listened to union leader Lourens from the Straf union outside on the stairs.
According to the union, the customs officers feel unheard by Minister Javier Silvania of Finance, who is responsible for customs. The action began yesterday after the minister did not respond to questions regarding the conditions in the building and issues related to bonuses within the customs service. The union refers to this as a lack of respect for the employees.
The situation worsened further when it was revealed that Minister Silvania had sent an email to the customs management instructing them to implement a "no work, no pay" policy. This has angered the employees and led them to escalate the actions further. This means that all activities related to trade in Curaçao will come to a complete standstill.