WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Justice Shalten Hato has met with the board of public-sector union ABVO to discuss several unresolved labor and organizational issues within Curaçao’s justice system, continuing consultations between the government and representatives of justice-sector employees.
According to Hato, the meeting focused on several pending matters involving the Opleidingsinstituut Rechtshandhaving en Veiligheidszorg (ORV) and the Uitvoeringsorganisatie Justitiële Zorg (UOJZ). The parties also discussed meetings and follow-up appointments that still need to be scheduled.
The minister did not specify which individual personnel files or disputes were discussed, nor did he announce concrete agreements resulting from the meeting.
Hato described continued dialogue with employee representatives as an important step toward finding solutions for justice-sector workers and strengthening the justice system as a whole.
The talks take place against the backdrop of broader personnel and organizational challenges across Curaçao’s justice chain.
Recent reporting on the 2025 State of Law Enforcement report showed, for example, that border control continues to face personnel shortages, while organizational and legal-status issues still have to be resolved before a formal police station can be established at Curaçao International Airport.
Labor relations within the justice sector have also been a recurring issue during Hato’s tenure. ABVO and the minister have previously held talks concerning the legal status of prison officers, appointments, workplace safety and the organizational structure of the Sentro di Detenshon i Korekshon Kòrsou (SDKK). Earlier discussions also covered working conditions and organizational issues within the Curaçao Fire Department.
More recently, other unions representing Curaçao Police Force personnel have raised concerns about working conditions and management policies. Earlier this year, dissatisfaction at neighborhood police stations became part of discussions between Hato, police management and the unions over a management-development program intended to prepare officers for leadership positions.
The justice system has meanwhile faced additional pressure from staffing and institutional challenges. Opposition party PNP raised concerns earlier this year about conditions at the judicial youth institution and questioned the pace of reforms within the broader justice chain.
The latest meeting with ABVO therefore forms part of a longer-running dialogue over personnel, legal status, organizational reform and working conditions within Curaçao’s justice institutions.
Hato said continued consultation is necessary to reach solutions for employees and create a stronger justice system. No timetable was announced for resolving the matters involving ORV and UOJZ.