RSSFlying 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
Aruban Police Act Faster with Hit & Run Incident than they Did With Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
Police Priorities in Aruba …
Here is a sense of priority in Aruba. The police acted faster and made an arrest immediately after former Justice Minister Hendrick Croes was involved in a hit and run incident than they did after Alabama teen Natalee Holloway went missing. Its a good thing that there were not any black security guards near by where the incident took place. However, in Aruba they refuse to make an arrest an prosecution for all the wrong reason.
Hendrik Croes detained after colliding with a police officer (Amigoe: 3/17/2008)
Lawyer Hendrik Croes while leaving the airport after having made a statement about the possible hit and run-accident with a police officer.
ORANJESTAD – Lawyer and former Justice-minister Hendrik Croes was taken into custody early this morning for having collided with a police officer on Sunday in the afternoon and failed to stop after the accident. The situation escalated yesterday when police union SPA incited her members to ‘bring everything to a standstill’ if Croes is not arrested. The Public Prosecutor (OM) called on everybody to ‘stay calm’, especially the parties in the labour dispute between the government and the public employees’ unions.
Posted March 19, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Amigoe, Aruba, Corruption, Crime, Natalee Holloway | 133 comments |
More Crime, Corruption and Cover Up in Aruba … Say it Isn’t So … Henry Eman & Former Minister Tico Croes Acquitted from Violation of the Accountability Ordinance
Does it really surprise anyone that a “Judge” would acquit government officials in Aruba for possible crimes and corruption? Is it really possible for any justice to occur on “One Happy Island”. It appears to be not what crime one committed, or what evidence there is against you … but who do you know and what power do you have. Justice is supposed to be blind … NOT IGNORANT and CORRUPT!
From the sentences, the OM realized that “it pays for the government not keeping the books univocally, while in fact, a financial mismanagement (lack of approved annual accounts with corresponding budgets) leads to criminal immunity”. This bears the OM big concern, “not only in this case, but also for the current situation and in the future.
OM is considers appealing: ‘Government’s non univocal accounting pays’ (Amigoe: 3/12/2008)
Member of Parliament Otmar Oduber (AVP) will remain in Parliament, now that he is acquitted from bribery in the Fondo Desaroyo Nobo criminal case.
ORANJESTAD – The Public Prosecutor (OM) is not pleased with the verdicts in the Fondo Desaroyo Nobo (FDN) criminal case and considers appealing. Ten of the seventeen suspects were convicted to conditional punishments. The other seven, including Otmar Oduber (AVP) were acquitted. He cried with happiness but also with frustration for the ‘four years of misery that the MEP-government had done to him and his family’.
Posted March 14, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Amigoe, Aruba, Corruption, Crime, Government, Judicial, WTF | 13 comments |
Tourists, Feel Safe Flying to Aruba??? Air Traffic Controllers on Strike … No Consequences, YET!!!
For those tourists who have ignored the pleas of not going to Aruba until the family of Natalee Holloway is provided justice in the case of their missing and deceased daughter, maybe the following story will appeal to them? Since travelers to Aruba seem to not care of the lack of safety or justice for Natalee Holloway, maybe they will selfishly care about their own safety on their discounted airline ticket. Do you really want trainees working in the air traffic control tower as opposed to the regular air traffic controllers that are on strike? Is the risk/reward really worth the chance? Air traffic controllers on strike … doesn’t that fill everyone with a sense of security.
The government has instituted a lawsuit against the union this morning to put an end to strike of a number of air traffic controllers, who threatened to shut down the airport at 15:00 today. When this paper went to press we learned, that the lawsuit was extended against all the demonstrating unions (SDA).
The strike of the air traffic controllers associated with the Seppa, doesn’t have consequences yet for the air traffic or the safety, said spokesperson Hendrik Croes. Management is doing the work for as long as the air traffic controllers are on strike.
Yet? YET!!! That is comforting.
There are enough personnel of the immigration service present or on call for the passport check. Trained personnel of Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) are standing by to take over in case of emergency.
Past posts regarding air traffic controllers in Aruba.
Lawsuit government against union (Amigoe: 3/12/2008)
The civil servants on strike, gathered first in front of the Julianaschool this morning, and then walked to the courthouse, where the lawsuit of the government against the unions was down for hearing.
Posted March 13, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Amigoe, Aruba, boycott, Corruption, Crime, Natalee Holloway, Travel, WTF | 19 comments |
In Aruba, Its OK for Police to Strike … But Not OK According to Aruba Tourism For People To Boycott Aruba in Case of Missing Natalee Holloway
The ALE is striking in Aruba, isn’t that rich! Of course police services did not suffer from striking ALE officers, wouldn’t one have to be making a difference in order to be missed? What is most hypocritical is the fact that individuals are told by Aruban officials that it is wrong to boycott Aruba because of “mis-steps” (cover up and corruption) in the Natalee Holloway investigation, yet its perfects fine for the ALE to strike for higher wages. Once again in Aruba … its all about the money.
(Picture: Hat Tip Klaas)
According to chief of police Peter de Witte, the police service didn’t suffer any consequence due to the actions; only that other work gets backlogged. The employees of the Technical Inspection Service walked out this morning.
Here is a comment that should scare the heck out of potential tourists to Aruba, the air traffic controllers will be joining the ALE.
The air traffic controllers joined the actions yesterday; they demand a salary increase of 5.2 percent. The civil servants urge the government to sit down and talk to the unions. They hold the government accountable for the consequences of the actions. It is not sure yet when and how the air traffic controllers are going to demonstrate.
Police stepped up actions (Amigoe, 3/6/08)
More than one-hundred police officers participated in a lightning strike against the government yesterday. Also the custom-personnel and the employees of the Mentally Handicap Foundation in Piedra Plat walked out for a short period of time.
ORANJESTAD – Yesterday, more than one-hundred police officers participated in the SDU‘s lightning strike for more salary. Together with SADA, the police went on strike again this morning and this afternoon; this time for two hours each time.
Posted March 7, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Amigoe, Aruba, boycott, Corruption, Crime, Missing Persons, Natalee Holloway, WTF | 36 comments |
