Union says GEBE under dictatorship

PHILIPSBURG–The St. Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) believes that utility company GEBE is under dictatorship by its present management team headed by acting CEO Andrew Zagers and Human Resources Manager Clifford Sasso. The union met with GEBE management last week to discuss several matters pertaining to an employee who received a warning letter.

Prior to the meeting, the SMCU requested a number of documents. The meeting was an introduction of the union as the new representative of the employees at GEBE. A follow up meeting was requested with the human resource manager the following day to discuss a grievance from one of the employees.
According to the union, one employee recently received a warning letter from the management based on their performance. The employee contested the warning as the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) allows, however, management ignored the articles in the company’s CLA.
President of the SMCU Ludson Evers said, “In the meeting of Wednesday, August 10, the SMCU gave the reasons why the warning is unwarranted and also indicated to Sasso where and how Zagers is violating three articles of the CLA which are the employee rights and the SMCU informed Sasso that he must know the CLA with his eyes closed and give the right advice to Zagers, the acting CEO of GEBE.
“Sasso requested some hours to get back to the SMCU because he had to discuss the matter with Zagers who is the only one in the managing board of GEBE. At 4:00pm, Sasso sent an email to the president of SMCU informing that after intensive discussion with the managing board the warning still stands, even when it is clearly indicated where they are violating the rights of the employee in question,” stated the union president in a press release Sunday.
It is for this reason the SMCU concludes that there is a dictatorship going on in the company because there is absolutely no respect for the documents that govern the employees of GEBE by Zagers and Sasso.
The SMCU had a general meeting with the employees of GEBE and informed them of the unprofessional action of the two gentlemen. SMCU also informed the employees that it will do all in its power to get GEBE structure as it is supposed to be, but if SMCU continues getting negative resistance, it leaves SMCU and its members no other alternative than to start calling urgent meetings during working hours.

Source: Daily Herald
Union says GEBE under dictatorship