WILLEMSTAD – The draft legislation to raise vacation pay for civil servants from 6% to 8% has been finalized. Caretaker Minister of Governance, Planning, and Public Service Shalten Hato (MFK) announced that the proposal is now entering the official process for review and decision-making by advisory and legislative bodies. 

Before reaching Parliament, the proposal will be discussed in the Central Consultation Committee for Civil Service Affairs (CGOA), the Council of Advice, and then again in the Council of Ministers. Because the measure concerns the legal employment conditions of civil servants, this procedural route is mandatory. Hato aims to complete the process as quickly as possible so that the increase can take effect in 2025. 

According to the minister, the raise is necessary to make civil service jobs more attractive in the labor market. Hato noted that private-sector employees often receive significantly higher vacation pay. With this adjustment, civil servants would eventually receive nearly a full month's salary as a vacation bonus. 

The current 6% vacation pay scheme has remained unchanged for over thirty years. Hato thanked the labor unions that submitted the proposal through the CGOA and emphasized that this step aligns with his broader plan to modernize outdated regulations.