SXMElections.com

Civil servants union leaders reject cost-cutting measures Exactly one week ago the Council of Ministers started a discussion on cost-cutting measures which will affect civil servants. Why the COM wants to cut in salaries, vacation allowance, periodic increases, etc from civil servants? According to the honorable Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Ms. Silveria Jacobs and the honorable Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, these cost-cutting measures are needed, because COVID 19 has affected the income of the government of Sint Maarten and from the Netherlands.
Before going into details and the arguments of the ministers to propose cost-cutting measures to the unions, we start this press conference of today with a quote from the United Nations Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and Human Rights. This is the same quote we brought to the attention of the two ministers yesterday when they had a meeting with the CCSU. As we will illustrate cost-cutting measures in workers salaries in the COVID 19 situation are violating our human rights!
In a publication issued in Geneva one month ago on April 15, 2020, in chapter 3 under the paragraph heading Getting rid of the resource excuse the UN Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, wrote the following and we quote: Too often when discussing human rights and in particular economic, social and cultural rights, the first argument that comes from those responsible for ensuring their realization, is the lack of financial resources to realize these right. Along this vein, governments emphasize on the progressive realization aspects of economic, social and cultural rights, but omit to look at their core and immediate obligations and the positive obligations of States to generate, adequately allocate and make use of the maximum of their available resources to move as expeditiously and effectively as possible towards the achievement of the full realization of those rights. (PS. Sint Maarten is not a state, but a territory in the State the Kingdom of The Netherlands.) States (PS. in other words The Kingdom government) should immediately invest in the health sector and medical equipment (including regarding COVID-19) and reinforce social safety nets and decent incomes. As previously discussed, States (PS. The Kingdom government) should provide financial support to individuals and households in need, through in a first phase, an emergency universal basic income and/or helping employers paying their wage bills, depending on the circumstances, and in a second phase, establishing a solid and universal social security and protection system, allowing for the realization of an adequate standard of living. States (in other words the Kingdom government) should also invest in nutrition, housing, education sectors, and local small-scale environmentally sustainable farming and agricultural production. In practice, this approach does not prevent governments from operating as payers of last resort to cover companies costs and pay salaries during the crisis, if needed. But, again, this policy would be only justified if it is implemented TO AVOID RETROGRESSION IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HUMAN RIGHTS. This crisis should not be used as an argument to accept new ways of cutting wages and other social rights from jobs, as some firms (and States) are doing. The UN Independent Expert in his letter to the States said that States must dramatically increase spending that targets inequalities and poverty caused by the COVID-19 crisis, and not just bail out corporations, banks, and investors without human rights or social conditions attached. Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky the UN Independent Expert said that private debt payments should be suspended for individuals financially crippled by the health crisis. During this period, these loans should not bear interest. Measures including unconditional cash transfers to maintain an adequate standard of living, provision of emergency shelters, a halt in evictions and cuts in the provision of electricity and water services must be considered immediately, the expert said.
What is the Kingdom government in the State the Kingdom of the Netherlands doing to target inequalities and poverty caused by the COVID 19 crises? Sint Maarten government is part of the Kingdom government. With the cost-cutting measures proposed to affect civil servants' salaries, their vacation allowance, their bonuses and their periodic increases Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister Ardwell Irion do not respect human rights! We are aware of the motion of MP Solange Duncan approved by all members of Parliament. Parliament had to receive within two weeks of cost-cutting measures proposals. We hereby appeal to the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentarians to respect all workers rights. Workers rights are human rights. The poor and the needy need measures to take them out of poverty! This should be guaranteed by the kingdom government!
Maybe the letter of the UN Independent Expert did not reach the Council of Ministers, because St. Maarten is not a State! But the Kingdom government in The Hague should have received the letter, but apparently they do not want to adhere to the recommendation of the UN Independent Expert! The Dutch government just two weeks ago announced to bail out KLM one company with an aid package in the form of state guarantees and loans amounting to between two and four billion euros! Whereas State secretary of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations Mr. Raymond Knops announced that the COVID 19 disaster is causing one billion Euro in damages to the Caribbean islands in the Kingdom, the aid to our islands is still to be discussed in the Kingdom Council of Ministers!!
The Kingdom of the Netherlands should implement the recommendation of the UN Independent Expert in his letter to the States: the Kingdom government must dramatically increase spending that targets inequalities and poverty caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Measures to achieve that have to be presented! That is what the ministers have to come up with! That is what the Kingdom government has to comply with: human rights of all the poor and the needy in our society!
Topic 2: Majority of workers did not get income support
Many workers have complaint to us that they have not received their full salary of March and of April. We have assisted workers in need of income support and for food to fill in the online Social Assessment form. A lot of these workers who applied are still waiting for food packages to reach and for their income support to provide for their families.
The Business Payroll Support program was announced to guarantee that for three months the workers would get their full salary and the employers would get a maximum of 80% payroll support as compensation. The lockdown support program was announced for those businesses which were not qualified for the business payroll support program.
The latest update provided was that 725 employers have filed for payroll support covering 8,527 workers.
There are approximately 23,000 workers employed in the formal sector.
If 8,527 workers are covered, that is only 37% of all workers in the formal economy!
Did all of these 8,527 workers got their full March and April salary paid out?
What happened to the other 14,500 workers in the formal economy?
If their employers did not file for payroll support, did they get their salaries paid in full?

How many of the 23,000 workers in the formal sector have not received their full salary at the end of March and the end of April?
Can the Ministry of VSA after having received the Social Assessment forms give an indication of how many workers did not get their full salary paid out?
How many workers have filed an official complaint with the Labor Department that they have not received their full salary paid out?

What about the more than 10.600 so-called inactive persons? These are persons who are officially not considered as unemployed in the last Labor Force Survey 2018! Unemployed was considered everyone who in the last two weeks prior to the survey was actively looking for a job. But a lot of these so-called inactive persons were active in the informal sector of the economy, offering their labor or their services to make a dollar.
When the lockdown forced everybody to stay home, where these persons were getting income from to support their families?
Are all these more than 10.000 persons receiving a social allowance from government?
How many persons are getting a social allowance?
Can the Ministry of VSA provide these numbers?
The next issue is the amount which should be provided to everybody in need of a basic income. What is in this part of the Kingdom a decent social allowance?
The 1150 ANG proposed by government as a basic income for sole proprietors, taxi and bus drivers, etc and as the maximum social allowance for anyone needing social assistance, is a discriminatory income support in the Kingdom of the Netherlands if we compare this maximum amount with what the social allowance is in the Netherlands.
Based on the NIBUD research done in Bonaire in 2013 the amount an individual needed not to be in poverty was at least 1500 USD.
With the cost of living in St Maarten being much higher than in Bonaire, applying a COLA of the last decade on this amount, a decent social allowance should be at least 1850 USD a month per person.
As the COVID 19 budget of St Maarten has estimated what is needed based on the basic income of 1150 ANG a month per person, a recalculation must be done with at least 1850 USD a month per person in mind so that an equitable social protection floor in the Kingdom is observed, for nobody to be in poverty!
This recalculation must be presented to the Kingdom government for co-financing to guarantee the equal social protection of every citizen in the Kingdom in the Kingdom and the equal right to an adequate standard of living not to be in poverty!
Topic 3: Food distribution and how many persons need the relief of food?

The ESF7 team of social services, community development, community police, community leaders, and volunteers have been distributing food packages in the different communities to those persons who are most vulnerable and have already been registered with social services. We have constantly received updates from the EOC on how many food boxes were distributed.
What we were not told is how many persons were still pending to receive a food box.

The first batch of food distribution was completed one month ago, around April 15. At that time a total of 1500 food boxes was distributed to the most vulnerable.
What were the criteria government used to determine who was the most vulnerable?

We are now one month further. Two months after the lockdown. Two months of a hindrance for people to make a dollar either in the formal or in the informal economy! So food boxes had to relief all workers who have been affected by these COVID 19 measures imposed by government!
How many persons got a food box after two months?

Apparently according to ESF coordinator VSA Secretary General another 1500 boxes were distributed. SO that brings our total to 3000 food boxes with stuff for two to three weeks food supply.
How many workers and needy households did not get a food box?

In the National address on April 11, EOC Chairperson Prime Minister Ms. Silveria Jacobs asked people to be patient, as Social Services will also begin to distribute food packages to those who have registered via the social impact assessment form. One day before she said and we quote: We understand that some persons may feel a dire need and that is why we are making it possible for you to also receive food from the government of St. Maarten. Every single person that is in need of food should ensure that they register via our social impact assessment form. For those who are not able to do so, a free 711 number will soon be available whereby persons will be taking calls and filling in the information for you. This service is especially for the elderly, and those who are out of touch with technology that is now being used to be able to continue the work from the government.
How many persons have filled out an application?
How many of these persons have received a food box?

If you know that you have made an order for food or expect delivery of food from social services, you will be called. Please do not open your door to strangers. I also ask the community Police and community leaders to take the lead in ensuring that you know who within your neighborhood are in need, so that you may alert social services.
If there are 13.000 poor and needy households and every household has been affected by the lockdown measures of government, why the government did not provide all these 13.000 households a food box as relief?
Why only 3000 food boxes were distributed in two months' time?
Why 10.000 poor and needy households were left without relief boxes of food?
As stated before it is the responsibility of the State government, the Kingdom government to guarantee that all poor and needy households are protected and have been provided relief. So State secretary Knops stated on Dutch tv in a fundraising program to provide food to the poor and the needy in this part of the kingdom that the Dutch government has provided humanitarian aid. And that they contributed with 100.000 EURO to the initiative of Andino Pastoraat!
How many food boxes the Karel Doorman brought for the poor and needy families in St Maarten?
What was the humanitarian aid brought by the Karel Doorman provided for the poor and the needy in St Maarten?

Now we heard that the Red Cross has been assigned to provide humanitarian aid to the people of our islands! The need of the people and households for food relief is already two months increased.
How much longer the poor and needy have to go hungry before they die from starvation?