The Bond van Crècheleiders in Suriname (BLC) wants the government to come up with concrete solutions to the longstanding problems faced by crèche workers. In addition to a salary increase, the workers are demanding, among other things, permanent appointments, overdue promotions, payment of allowances and improved working conditions.
After a protest action and a meeting with the Minister of Sociale Zaken en Volkshuisvesting (Sozavo; Social Affairs and Public Housing), several commitments were made earlier today. The workers are cautiously positive, but stress that they will no longer accept promises alone.
A large group of crèche workers went to the ministry to draw attention to the problems within the childcare institutions. Representatives of the union subsequently met with the minister to discuss an extensive list of demands.
Afterwards, a representative of the workers told the press that the consultation had proceeded satisfactorily, but that the results still have to materialise. “We still have to see it happen. They are just commitments,” the representative said in an interview with DTV.
Salary position compared with nurses has deteriorated
One of the union’s key demands is the restoration of the salary position of crèche workers. According to the workers, they were previously classified two salary scales higher than nurses. With the introduction of the Functie-Informatie Systeem Overheid (FISO), this relationship is said to have become distorted.
The union believes that the salary development of crèche workers has lagged behind and is seeking an equivalent increase, partly in light of the recent salary improvements for nurses.
According to the union, crèche workers bear major responsibility for the daily care, guidance and upbringing of young children. According to the workers, this should be matched by appropriate remuneration.
During her speech, the minister referred to a 15 percent salary increase that has yet to be introduced. However, her statement did not make clear to what extent this increase meets the union’s specific salary demands.
Waiting for years for permanent appointments and promotions
In addition to the salary issue, the union is urgently calling attention to the legal status of the workers. According to the workers, some have been waiting for permanent appointments for years, while promotions and job classification decisions are also not being processed in a timely manner.
The minister acknowledged that the administrative processing of personnel matters takes too long. According to her, approximately seven to eight files concerning permanent appointments have now been processed.
The minister stressed that permanent appointments must not be a political matter. When workers meet all requirements and their documents are in order, processing should take place without unnecessary delay, she said.
Overdue bonuses were also discussed during the consultation. According to the minister, approximately ten files have been processed by Sociale Zaken and forwarded to the Ministry of Binnenlandse Zaken.
The union is also seeking an increase in the clothing allowance and payment of overdue allowances. No separate commitment was made during the public briefing on the concrete handling of this demand.
Severe staff shortage causes high workload
The staff shortage at several crèches is also among the workers’ main concerns. Due to the lack of personnel, the workload is increasing and staff members sometimes have to work double shifts, according to the minister.
The minister described this situation as unacceptable. “It is not the intention for you to work two shifts. That is not humane. You also have a family,” she told the assembled workers.
According to the minister, 124 people have now been hired, but they have not yet been deployed at the crèches. The ministry will determine where these staff members are and how they can be deployed to reduce shortages at the childcare institutions.
Poor maintenance and unsafe working conditions
The complaints of crèche workers are not limited to salaries and personnel matters. The union is also calling attention to the physical condition of several childcare locations.
According to the list of demands, crèches face overdue maintenance, broken toilets, leaks, inadequate lighting and flooding. In addition, some locations lack sufficient furniture and play materials.
The workers believe that these conditions not only hamper their work, but may also affect the quality of care and the well-being of the children.
The union therefore wants the ministry to take concrete measures to bring the buildings and facilities up to standard.
Criticism of management and foundation board performance
The internal organisation and working atmosphere are also under discussion. The list of demands reports poor communication, unequal treatment, insufficient cooperation and a lack of appreciation for the workers.
The workers also express criticism of the management’s performance. According to them, leadership, communication and the timely handling of personnel matters are inadequate.
During her speech, the minister painted a different picture of contact between management and workers’ representatives. She stated that there has in fact been regular and constructive consultation in recent times with the director of Sociale Zaken, Mr Falis.
Regarding the foundation board, the minister acknowledged that the situation needs improvement. According to her, the current board is inactive, leaving the ministry without an important formal discussion partner.
She announced that the proposal for a new foundation board will be submitted to the Raad van Ministers this week. With the arrival of a new board, cooperation between the ministry, the foundation and the workers must be improved.
Union seeks commission and clear deadlines
The BLC wants to prevent the agreements reached from once again becoming bogged down in administrative procedures. The union is therefore seeking the establishment of a commission comprising representatives of the workers, the ministry and the foundation.
This commission must oversee the approach to the problems. In addition, the workers want a concrete timetable setting out when the various bottlenecks must be resolved.
The minister announced that a consultation body will be established. The necessary formal decisions are still pending.
According to the minister, bureaucratic procedures regularly cause lengthy delays. Documents are sometimes submitted with errors and must then be processed again, meaning that completion can take months.
To reduce this problem, she said agreements have been made with Binnenlandse Zaken on shorter procedures and more direct communication channels.
It is not yet clear whether the announced consultation body will fully meet the union’s demand for a commission and which specific implementation deadlines will be applied.
Minister says she takes staff interests seriously
The minister stressed to the assembled crèche workers that the ministry takes their interests seriously. According to her, consideration must be given not only to the staff, but also to the parents and children who depend on the childcare services.
Although the union had not yet submitted a formal letter with its demands, according to the minister, she nevertheless decided to receive the representatives. It was agreed that the list of demands would still be submitted in writing, so that the necessary decisions can be further handled within the government.
The minister stated that all issues raised have the attention of the ministerial leadership.
Consultations must take place again in December to assess which agreements have since been implemented and which matters remain outstanding.
‘No more empty promises’
Despite the positive response to the meeting, the union continues to insist on tangible results.
The central message from the crèche workers is that they no longer want empty promises, but concrete agreements, clear deadlines and actual implementation of the announced measures.
According to the workers, they fulfil an important caregiving and educational role within society and are therefore entitled to fair remuneration, legal certainty and proper working conditions.
The meeting with the minister is regarded by the workers’ representatives as a step in the right direction. Whether it will also bring an end to the longstanding problems within the crèches will depend on the implementation of the agreements reached.
