WILLEMSTAD – The Council of Ministers met with representatives of several labor unions to discuss concerns raised by the unions in a letter submitted to the government.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the contents of the letter and several issues affecting government employees and labor relations in the public sector.
Among the topics on the agenda were International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 151 and the GOA agreements dating from 2014. The ILO is a United Nations agency that promotes workers’ rights, decent working conditions and social justice.
The government and unions agreed that representatives from both sides will work together in the short term to develop concrete proposals.
Those proposals will subsequently be discussed within the CGOA, the Central Organized Consultation in Civil Service Matters, which serves as the formal consultation framework for negotiations involving government personnel.
The Council of Ministers said it remains prepared to facilitate the process but stressed that decisions must respect existing structures and take place within the formal CGOA consultation framework.
According to the government, Wednesday’s discussions took place in a constructive atmosphere and with mutual respect.
Representatives of five unions participated in the meeting: Sindikato di Trahadornan den Enseñansa Kòrsou (SITEK), representing education workers; Sindikato Trahadornan di Aduana i Fiskalia (STrAF); Nationaal Algemene Politie Bond (NAPB); Sindikato Amtenarnan di Polis i Kadena Hudisial (SAP); and Algemene Bond van Overheidspersoneel (ABVO).
The next step will be for government and union representatives to formulate the proposals that will eventually be presented for formal discussion within the CGOA.