WILLEMSTAD - A united front of five unions, including S.A.P, S.T.r.A.F., N.A.P.B., SITEK, and ABVO, has issued an ultimatum to the government of Curaçao. Within thirty days, they demand the payment of overdue salary increases and a three percent lump sum for the period 2019-2020. The total debt to civil servants, including both the salary scale and the lump sum, amounts to more than 30 million guilders.
This demand comes after previous agreements and partial payments, including an indexation of 46 million guilders on November 3, which did not fully meet the expectations of the unions. Minister Ornelio Martina promised to settle the remaining debt by December of this year, taking into account the precarious financial situation of the government.
Nevertheless, the unions remain determined. They threaten legal action if their demands are not met within the specified timeframe. The pressure on the government is increasing to meet its financial obligations and address the dissatisfaction among civil servants.
In an attempt to address the situation, Minister of Governance, Planning, and Public Service, Ornelio ‘Kid’ Martina, had previously proposed disbursing a total of 68 million guilders to civil servants. This amount was intended to cover not only the salary scale for 2019 and the indexation for that year but also a one-time payment for civil servants who reached their maximum scale in 2020. However, this proposal did not garner support in the Council of Ministers.