From left: NAPB union president Rogerrel Mauricia, Caretaker Minister of Justice Perry Geerlings, WICSU/PSU representative Debbie Rombley and ABVO President Sharlon Cathalina.
PHILIPSBURG–The Police and Immigration unions NAPB, WICSU/PSU, and ABVO held a roundtable meeting with caretaker Minister of Justice Perry Geerlings on Sunday afternoon. During this meeting, the unions presented a proposal letter of agreement for the advance payment for St. Maarten Police Force KPSM members.
The unions said in a press release on Sunday that the agreement presented was satisfactory.
In October 23 the unions representing the justice workers requested an urgent meeting with Geerlings to obtain answers about status of the issues of members of the Police Force. Following that meeting the Minister met with the unions and their members on October 24. In this meeting the unions and members expressed to the minister their frustrations regarding the pending issues which they believed should have been dealt with many years ago.
“We needed clarity, knowing that the Government had fallen and the Minister of Justice left without anything being done for the [police – Ed.] personnel,” the release said.
Following that meeting, Geerlings requested that the union representatives draft a proposal suggesting how he could assist to fix these long overdue matters for the police.
According to the release, in this proposal the unions stated that the Government of St. Maarten owed the police and Immigration workers certain monies, and requested a Ministerial Decree granting the workers a considerable amount of the funds owed to them, with at least 50 per cent of the retroactive payment paid in advance to them for the month of December.
The unions said this could take place while they await the formalisation of their placement in the new organisation. The unions requested documentation formalising for the incoming Government all matters that had been agreed on while waiting for the new minister of justice who will take office after the election on January 9, 2020.
The unions said they would render assistance if needed to finalise the proposal by sending in administrative workers from the police with the paperwork to assist the minister’s cabinet.
“The minister took our proposal [letter of agreement of the advance payment] very seriously, because he too felt the frustration,” the unions said in the release. “We hope that our National Decree will get finalised in order to place our [justice] personnel in their rightful positions and with their legal documents in their hand.”
The unions will hold a general meeting where they will inform their members about the proposal.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92551-police-unions-sign-agreement-with-minister-perry-geerlings
View comments
Hide comments