WILLEMSTAD — Curaçao is facing a “serious state of sustained inflation” that threatens to push more citizens into poverty if urgent action is not taken, warned George Hernandez, Secretary-General of the central trade union CGTC. His remarks came during a special Labor Day mass at the Santa Famia church on May 1, where he called for greater consumer protection and price control. 

“There is a lack of oversight and consumer safeguards on the island,” said Hernandez, urging the government to implement tighter price monitoring “to ease the pressure on the people.” 

He highlighted the struggles of working families, particularly single mothers raising multiple children, who are increasingly unable to meet basic needs like rent, utilities, and food. “We’re talking about people who work hard every single day just to afford the basics,” he said. 

Hernandez also addressed the plight of retirees who, after a lifetime of service, are left to survive on pensions that are barely enough for a dignified existence. “Unchecked inflation is an enemy of human development and of the dignified life our people deserve,” he stressed. 

According to the union leader, the economic disparity is widening. “What we are seeing is that the rich are getting richer, while the people—the backbone of our economy—are growing poorer.” 

Hernandez’s remarks underscored growing concerns among labor organizations and civil society that the government must take more decisive action to protect vulnerable groups amid ongoing economic challenges.