You know there is an ongoing challenge with SKOA’s Werksters, cleaning crews.
We’re talking about 99 members of the Janitorial Support Staff, of the Catholic Education Agency,
I wrote about this already under the Hot Potato heading
Before 2015, the janitorial support staff in charge of wiping door knobs, cleaning lavatories, and picking up after students in schools on the island, were paid a minimum hourly wage, no benefits, take it or leave it.
A thankless job, but a truly important one, keeping viruses at bay, and school-yards safe.
Cleaning up every day after hundreds of kids, in dozens of schools in no picnic.
SKOA, has schools that are a CENTURY old. While the real-estate belongs to the church, headquartered in Curacao, the local agency, a not for profit foundation, subsidized by GOA, was given the right to use the buildings, and naturally, the obligation to maintain them.
That said, there is never any budget for maintenance. And the janitorial support staffers hold the ancient facilities together, with elbow-grease, and spit.
In 2015, the notion that these workers should be treated equally surfaced in the Ministry of Education, under the former-former minister. It was a social idea whose time has come.
Why should these hard-working people who aren’t government employees, but are employed by the foundation, be treated differently?
Why have they been discriminated against?
At the time their salary remained minimal, about Awg 1,800 a month, but the benefits they started receiving eased the pain, they were able to get by, and with a steady SKOA job had access to the cut-throat financial institutions where they could apply for tiny loans at murderous interest rates, but at least they had access to credit.
The current Minister of Education, of the outgoing government saw things differently. And by the way, he was the only cabinet minister that understood that in order to add a service you have to lose a service, in order to stay in budget.
He explained the expense was unbearable and needs to go, he did not want to use public funds for what he saw as an unregulated budget line.
These day, the support staffers are being called in at SKOA and offered a package of Awg 6,000 florin per person, for their 5 years of service. They have one week to think about it.
Next week SKOA will hand in the resignation of all cleaning crews. They have been living in continued legal uncertainty, regarding their work status
The crisis necessitated a SEPPA Union meeting, on Friday. If the werksters don’t take the package and try to build a legal case, they will lose their right to the package.
Tough decisions to make.
Take the money and run, or turn it down and hope the legal case has teeth.
On the other hand, schools don’t have information either. What will happen in September, when schools re-open, who will do the maintenance and cleaning.
Reminder: SKOA has 46 schools. Around 10 thousand students and 800 teachers.
Who will keep them safe?
An outside contractor, a middle man, that is paid a substantial amount to employs and manage people at minimum wages?
Rehire the crews at minimum wages, no benefits?
We must find a solution with compassion, the support staffers, mostly older women, love their schools and kids, and will find themselves, unskilled, unemployable, at an advanced age. Someone with a heart must do some thinking!
