“Management shuts out union”

The union at Surinam Airways (SLM) strongly believes that a plan to dismantle the company before closing it down has been set in motion. Union Chairman Robby Maaijen made these serious accusations at a press conference that was held on Friday. Union officials claim that “all of this must happen within three years. “When this board of directors came on board, the chief executive officer indicated that the shareholder gave the order to shut down the SLM”, said Maaijen. “He asked for the opportunity to make the company profitable within the next two to three years.” The union chairman deems the plans to make the SLM healthy questionable because of the things that are taking place at executive level.

He pointed out that these things reek of nepotism and squandering. Maaijen claims that the management team grew to six members including two directors. “The creation of more posts at executive level is a form of squandering”, said Maaijen who added that companies with ties to some of the executives were hired for certain projects. “They went from four to six and this costs our company about US$ 500,000 on an annual basis”, said the union chairman who added that management never consulted the union on anything. He claimed that certain actions are taking place and that they are aimed at shutting out the union. A staff meeting that took place on Wednesday management made it clear that matters regarding the staff would no longer go via the union and that management would make all the decisions. “Management made it clear that in the new SLM an employers’ regulation would apply to the staff and the other personnel.”

“An employers’ regulation is a one-sided document that does not require consultation. There is no agreement between parties. So they are making an attempt to get rid of the union and to ignore the collective labor agreement.”