PHILIPSBURG–Interim Justice Minister Egbert Doran said the legal basis for the advance payment to the Police Force of St. Maarten KPSM workers has been signed and approved.
On November 17, 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between then-caretaker Minister of Justice Perry Geerlings and various unions representing the KPSM employees, in which commitments regarding the retroactive adjustment of salaries received and the differences owed to the employees of KPSM were made.
It was decided to make 50-per-cent payment to the applicable employees regarding the matter of retroactive adjustment to their salaries. This payment is to be issued in the form of an advance against the total final financial picture, which will be known once the placement process is completed.
Doran said in a press release on Wednesday the legal basis for such a payment was missing, given that salary tables (which includes the 16.3 per cent Windward Islands Allowance) were not available as salaries had not yet been legally established.
“There were many complexities surrounding the settling of this matter which was a long-standing unresolved problem that accumulated over the past nine years. Therefore, extra diligence was required as this certainly couldn’t be resolved in a split second as certain parties were demanding,” Doran said.
At Doran’s request, a team within the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the staff of other relevant ministries, prepared the legislative tool that was needed and has been presented to the minister, the release said.
“By means of this draft National Decree (‘LBham’) and its accompanying note of explanation (‘NvT’) the salary tables for KPSM will be established, for both the Police civil servants tasked with executive roles and those with supportive roles, therefore completing the needed structure for KPSM,” Doran said.
The Committee Civil Servants Union (CCSU) gave the green light. The Minister of Justice then requested an extra-ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers which was held on Tuesday, December 31, and after intense deliberations, the long-awaited document was approved and will be submitted to the Governor and forwarded to the Council of Advice RvA, the release said.
Once this legislative route is complete this National Decree will be published and will enter into force.
“This has been a road of many challenges, and I urge all employees, and in particular those of the Justice Ministry, to continue to exercise their rights and to seek justice as far as it pertains to their rights,” Doran said.
“There are many serious issues plaguing the Justice Ministry and I will be doing everything in my power to resolve them. You have my word that once it is brought to my attention, it will be investigated and whatever stone needs to be overturned to ensure that your rights are not trampled on, will be overturned,” the minister said.
The minister thanks all stakeholders involved in making this a reality. He especially thanks interim Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and the entire Finance Ministry, according to the release.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/93673-doran-says-legal-basis-approved-for-payment-to-kpsm-workers
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