Philipsburg:--- Workers of the former Pelican Resort now Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV (SBRMC) and Royal Resorts Management Company Ltd protested in front of the Labour Department Monday morning demanding answers from the Department and Minister of Labour regarding the dismissal request that was submitted by their employer on April 26th, 2011. The workers who are currently not being paid by their employers also sought to register for social aid. They said that the non action of the Labour Department has left them in jeopardy since they are not able to meet their monthly bills. Many of the former Pelican workers said that they are not able to pay their mortgages and rent since it has been six weeks now they are not being paid which is in contradiction of the tripartite agreement signed between the Government of St. Maarten, the SBRMC, and the Workers Institute for Organized Labour.The protest on Monday morning led to an urgent meeting with the General Secretary of the Department Joireen Wuite, Head of the Department of Labour Peggy-Ann Dors, and Head of the Social Affairs Department Mark Schloss, while Loraine Scott Press Secretary of Minister De Weever attended in his absence.
Dors told the Pelican workers that the department has been trying to obtain pertinent information from the Simpson Bay Resort Company through its legal representatives but the information they requested is not forthcoming. Dors said the application that was filled in by the company to dismiss some 49 workers has the name of two companies which are Pelican Resorts and Simpson Bay Resort Management Company. Dors said that the company has to say which of the two companies is requesting the dismissal or if the two companies Pelican Resort and Simpson Bay Resort Management Company is the same. Besides that, the company has to also provide the Labour Department with the historical data of the company as well as its financial status and its redundancy plan. She said her office requested the information a number of times including the recent court verdicts but to date the information was not turned over to them therefore, the Labour Department could not process the dismissal of the workers.
It should be noted that while the SBRMC and Pelican Resorts requested the dismissal of 49 persons, two of the workers are now deceased they are Rodney Martina and Elva Aventurin. Among those facing dismissal is Glenda Smith- Groeneveldt, wife of Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt.
Dors also explained the workers and its union representative Theophillus Thompson that the department needs to have the most recent court verdict because the Appeal Courts ruled that the SBRMC is no longer liable for the workers while the application to dismiss the workers was filed by SBRMC. Wuite and Dors said that while they understand that the issues surrounding the Pelican workers are sensitive and a number of people's lives are affected they are bound to follow the law and the legislation. According to the workers, the first court case initiated by the WIFOL was on February 8th 2011 while the dismissal was filed on April 26th 2011. Dors said parties signed a tripartite agreement and it is the union that has to hold the company responsible for breaching the agreement. She said while the company signed an agreement they went ahead and filed an appeal and has since abandoned the agreement they signed. "It's like they want to have their cake and to eat it too. Right now the company is in breach of the agreement as well as the law since they also cut the worker's salaries by 25% since the agreement was signed." Thompson told the Department heads that he went to the mediator Derrick Holiday to discuss the reduction of the workers pay as well as to request his assistance for mediation and so far Holiday has done nothing.General Secretary of the Department of Health and Labour Joireen Wuite said that the Department of Labour has to establish if the Pelican Resorts is completely dissolved because if that is not the case the workers will not be able to access their centitia benefits. Dutch nationals that are facing the dismissal can apply for Social Aid which can be between Naf. 505.00 to Naf. 700.00 per month depending on the applicant's martial and family status. Workers of the Pelican Resort or SBMRC that are not Dutch nationals will not benefit from Social Aid as stipulated in their working permits. A follow up meeting is planned for later this week with the Department Heads and a smaller group of workers who will assist in deciding how the department should proceed in assisting the workers.