IF DAMEN SHIPYARD SAYS: "YOU'RE FIRED!" ALWAYS REMEMBER THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS...
By: JJosephaNews
Reading Time: 3:00 min.
Twitter: @JJosephaNews
Willemstad, Curacao. April 19th 2022. Allegedly, the Damen Shiprepair Curacao B.V. company will be dismissing more than two hundred (200) workers. The quantity is allegedly about 225-235 Curasaleno and local workers (Caribbean Dutch) and replacing them with apparently; Caucasians that are European Dutch. The Minister of Economic Affairs arrived and informed the workers about the situation that was developing and delivered an inspirational message to workers to be prepared and ready for whatever comes but most importantly to stand together because they all together as one represent the strength that is needed to get through.
Major Key Points:
- Why The Workers May Lose Their Jobs?
- The Bad News!
WHY THE WORKERS MAY LOSE THEIR JOBS?
Allegedly; the company's owner (director) is coming to Curacao from the Netherlands, to fire people and replace the local Curasaleno workers with Dutch workers from The Netherlands.
Elvis de Andrade (leader of the political party United Progress aka UP) exclaimed; “Because, Angelo Meyer (Chairman of trade union PWFC (Petroleum Workers Federation Curacao)), every place he goes, every place closes, the refinery closed, problems at CPS (Curacao Port Services), now there is problems at the Dock!”
THE BAD NEWS!
Curacao's Minister of Economy: Mr. Ruisandro Cijntje (political party PNP - People's National Party), spoke to some of the workers of Damen Shiprepair B.V. and explained that he just got to know about the bad news by "via via".
Curacao's Economic Minister explained; "I told you (all), that when I got here as a Government Minister, I inherited this issue from the previous Eugene Rhuggenaath administration and former Ministers of Economy."
The former Ministers of Economy in Curacao's 10th Prime Minister cabinet by Eugene Philip Rhuggenaath from 2017 - 2021 were:
Steven Martina (MAN political party leader),
Giselle McWilliam (MAN political party member, SVC-08 MP [2017-2021] and presently; SVC-09 MP [2021-2025] in the opposition! JJosephaNews noted that recently (less than a month ago); it was reported that Giselle was also a Special Honorarium Invited To Speak (SHITS) Guest Speaker invited by Mr. Koos Sneek; who is a Caucasian European Dutch living resident on the island of Statia; as well as one half of the 2 representatives for The Democratic Party in Sint Eustatius, in The 5 member Sint Eustatius Island Council) for the Christian Democratic Party (DP). The DP has a strong political umbilical relationship with The Netherlands based headquartered political party. Giselle's speaking engagement reportedly was to encourage its membership drive campaign in its political party's first ever annual meeting nd bolster new registration for the Sint Eustatius political party".
Kenneth Gijsbertha: (MAN political party member and former minister of finance whom also had the portfolio of Economy during the Eugene Rhuggenaath Cabinet of 2017 - 2021).
Cijntje continued; "When they looked for this; (roughly in 2017/2018); about 4 years ago, giving them a "carte blanche", a red carpet, for them to do whatever they want! That is what I got since I became the Minister!"
Cijntje further stated that he was still understanding and processing the situation and exclaimed; "Where a consensus was made; where no company in the world would get such things! We found that out! I am still busy searching and formulating how to reach a decision on the twenty million (20,000,000) that I receive to invest in the Curacao Dock! This means that it will remain ours! That is one situation! Right now, when you got the information. I also got the information at the same time by "via via" and understood that something was going on and I stepped up and started to make my calls! I explained to "them" (Damen); as well in the Netherlands, to explain to "them" (Damen) that this is unacceptable! That is where we have reached so far!"
Minister Cijntje expressed: "I arrived here to talk to you all face to face, for me to speak as a minister, for me to explain to you all; as workers; what is going on! Tomorrow I will bring this forward to The Council of Ministers (ministerraad)!"
THE GOOD NEWS, THE UGLY NEWS AND THE TRUTH.
The Curacao Economic Minister in The Gilmar Pisas Administration-II (2021-2025) iterated; "This is not something that can be solved at the moment right now! I could tell you a lot of things that would sound nice right now, but it would not be the reality, and I will NOT choose that path! I choose to speak what I know: The information that I have and What will be done! The reality is bitter, the reality is hard, but we are in it! Right now, we spoke about a lot of things about Isla (The Curacao Oil Refinery) etcetera, a lot (from the former Government) of promises for three (3) years straight, but it remained closed as of today. However, I will tell you; that the refinery will open this year!"
Cijntje further stated: "The other thing, regarding Damen, the situation right now, the situation that it has at the small moment, it is now that I need to handle it and I will handle it! As for the labor part; as I said; my other colleagues (Mrs. Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia SOAW Minister and Political leader of PNP) will handle that! Truthfully; since, we do NOT accept that it (Damen) will do like this, but right now, we have another reality! If the company (Damen) tells you that it had lost such amount of money; and we are all seeing what is going on worldwide, where ships stopped coming, other things occurring, bad management or whatever, it can "vloeiaf" (dissolve) aka blotter; according to the law! The only thing is, that it has a process to go through!"
Minister Ruisandro Cijntje in an inspirational speech to the workers to be thy brothers keepers and be strong together as one, in closing he implored; "Your Syndicate would have told you before, what must be happening, because if tomorrow; and let me repeat this for you all; if they (Damen) start calling today; right now, none of us will know, who has a job and who doesn't. However; the one who receives the call; saying that he is fired; will be crying, but the one who doesn't receive the call and must go to work, will he remember his colleagues who is crying and unite in unity? Or; will he continue on and walk inside to work for Damen? This is where, we must speak with ourselves, standing here, how much are we going to sustain each other in this, for them (Damen) to understand that what they are doing is something wrong to our own people? I can tell them (Damen), but where is the strength? You are the strength!"
TRANSLATION: [Felicity: 45% | Fidelity: 55% ]
ABOUT DAMEN
Damen Shiprepair Curaçao B.V. is a Private Limited Liability Company, register and incorporated about six (6) years ago, and its Statutory director is Johan Alexander Smit (42).
Damen's business registered business activities is authorized to do the following:
- Shipyard for building and repair of vessels for sport and recreation,
- Shipyard for building and repair of seagoing ships,
- Shipyard for building and repair of fishing vessels seagoing tugs,
- dredgers,
- oil-drilling platforms,
- Construction works,
- Economic zone trading
OVERALL TRANSLATION: FELICITY:45% / FIDELITY:55%
PAPIAMENTU/DUTCH : ENGLISH
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