Flying the Safe Friendly Skies of Aruba? Aruban Unions no longer going to guarantee the minimum staffing like Police & Air Traffic Control

As Spring Break and Easter weekend is upon us Aruban public employee unions are on strike and have gone against a recent judges ruling that they will no longer provide minimum staffing. What does that affect? Just minor and unimportant services like police, fire brigade, immigration, and air traffic control. Doesn’t that instill a warm safe feeling to those about to fly to Aruba.

ORANJESTAD – The public employees’ unions are no longer going to stick to their word before the judge last Friday.  They are no longer going to guarantee the minimum staffing of vital government services like police, fire brigade, immigration, and air traffic control.

According to spokesperson Hendrik Croes of Aruba Airport Authority (AAA), management has decided that in case the air traffic controllers walk out, they will redirect aircrafts with destination Aruba to the airports of Curacao and Bonaire.  “Despite the minimum staffing, the airport is at this moment not troubled by the strikes.  Only problem is that everybody that is present, must work extra hard.”

Other media reported yesterday that the minimum staffing does lead to obvious problems.  Because of that, two aircrafts arrived later than was scheduled.  Croes contradicts that:  “The reason was that yesterday, the airport of Curacao didn’t give clearance for departure when the aircrafts wanted to go.”

Nobody of the government was available this morning for comments on the announcement of the union to no longer guarantee minimum staffing.

Unions: No longer minimum staffing  Amigoe: 3/19/2008

Yesterday, a large group of public employees on strike unexpectedly joined the parade in honour of the Day of the Flag and National Anthem.  The protest march went quietly, but a number of bystanders didn’t appreciate the action.

ORANJESTAD – The public employees’ unions are no longer going to stick to their word before the judge last Friday.  They are no longer going to guarantee the minimum staffing of vital government services like police, fire brigade, immigration, and air traffic control.

The deadline for the government to come with a ‘serious’ proposal was moved from Tuesday evening to 09:00 today.  The civil servants were incited to gather in front of Julianaschool at 10:00.  The union was going to tell them how to intensify the actions.  However, the attendance was low at 10:30; about 60 people.  

The government had another proposal on Saturday, in which she indicated for the first time that she wants to talk about indexation.  The proposal included a ministerial disposition of Premier Nelson Oduber, in which a Study Group Legal Position improvement is formally set up.  

This study group must no later than April 8, submit a proposal with ‘the issue of indexation or compensation for cost of living within the financial means of the government’.  The premier’s reason for setting up this study group is that the National Ordinance Material Civil Service Right (LMA) requires this.  In conformity with this law, the improvement of the legal position of the civil service must be done in the Central Committee for organized deliberation.

From the disposition it appears that the government acknowledges the right to strike of the public employees.  She also observes that ‘in this deliberation process, the basic assumptions of the unions and the government are flatly opposed’.   The government furthermore wants to know what the unions think of the legal position improvements, before submitting a definite proposal’.

The unions indicated soon after on Saturday that they won’t accept that proposal either.  A huge protest march was organized yesterday during the parade in the honour of the Day of the Flag and National Anthem.  Some bystanders didn’t appreciate this and were very angry.  “This is disrespectful!  This is our day; how dare they”, said an older woman.  Premier Oduber said that now that the strike has indurate, its consequences are for the union.  He called on everybody that suffers damages as a result of the strike, to take this to court.  According to Tourism-minister Edison Briesen, some airline companies have already indicated that they have suffered damage.  But before he goes public with this, he wants to wait for the report of the Aviation Administration.

According to spokesperson Hendrik Croes of Aruba Airport Authority (AAA), management has decided that in case the air traffic controllers walk out, they will redirect aircrafts with destination Aruba to the airports of Curacao and Bonaire.  “Despite the minimum staffing, the airport is at this moment not troubled by the strikes.  Only problem is that everybody that is present, must work extra hard.”

Other media reported yesterday that the minimum staffing does lead to obvious problems.  Because of that, two aircrafts arrived later than was scheduled.  Croes contradicts that:  “The reason was that yesterday, the airport of Curacao didn’t give clearance for departure when the aircrafts wanted to go.”

Nobody of the government was available this morning for comments on the announcement of the union to no longer guarantee minimum staffing.