~ Request in since May ~
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten government, as of Tuesday, had not yet responded to a request from the Pension Fund to index the pensions of former government employees based on the cost-of-living adjustments.
Prime Minster Sarah Wescot-Williams said the request from the fund had been made two months ago, in May.
Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) Vice President Claire Elshot had expressed concern last week Friday that the pensions in St. Maarten had not been indexed as prescribed by law. She said the unions in the chamber would be lobbying for this to be done.
Wescot-Williams told reporters on Wednesday that after reading about the concerns in the press she immediately had enquired about the status of the indexation. She acknowledged that the pensions should be indexed, as is done to the salaries of active government workers. "However, according to procedure, government has to be officially asked for this to be done before the Pension Fund can index pensions," explained Wescot-Williams.
"I believe in May the request or the proposal was made by the Pension Fund, and as far as I have been able to understand, up until yesterday [Tuesday], a response had not yet been given. With the matter on the table, I will continue to investigate this issue," Wescot-Williams said.
In a letter to the media, Elshot said teachers and civil servants in St. Maarten were coming forward with their claim that their "duurtetoeslag" had not been indexed for a number of years. She said their claims would be tabled by their respective unions to ensure that the cost-of-living adjustment for inactive civil servants and teachers also would be paid out, "just like that to the active workers."
"We must acknowledge and respect the fact that the pensioners also live in the community with us and that the cost-of-living adjustment is also a must for them," said Elshot. "For the past l0 years, more or less, APNA has adjusted this for the workers in Cura�ao with the Government's contribution. In St. Maarten, however, this has been a problem. The Island Government, and now Country St. Maarten, has not deposited often numerous requests from the APNA adjustments for the "duurtetoeslag."
She said unions in the chamber would be addressing this urgent matter with the ministers, because there was jurisprudence on this issue with another government and the ABVO unions. "So we are hoping to get a solution on behalf of the pensioners, former workers of the Island Government of St. Maarten," said Elshot.
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