First joint meeting of the CLA Parties

First joint meeting of the CLA Parties.

Following the CLA result reached at the end of 2023, the parties held a first joint consultation on November 18 and 19. The BES Healthcare CLA has been in effect since January 1, 2024. The parties discussed how further steps can be taken to improve and professionalize labor market and employment conditions policy for the healthcare sector on the BES. Concrete agreements were also made on a definitive adjustment of employees' salaries by 3.6 percent as of January 1, 2025, on transportation for on-call services for employers on Saba and Statia, and initial discussions were held on various employment-related themes such as prevention, vitality and training policy.

The CLA Parties opened the consultation with a look back at the process and the shared ambition the parties had formulated in 2022. For this, Rafael Boasman, labor expert and former prime minister and, among other roles, minister of Healthcare, Social Development and Labour, was invited. At the start of the process in July 2022, he gave a speech on the importance of collaboration and set the task of arriving at a joint CLA for healthcare employees and employers on the BES. His message was that collaboration is necessary to stand stronger. During the consultation on November 18 and 19, he looked back on the July 2022 conference and told the parties that this process is of great importance for employees and therefore for healthcare on the BES. He called the CLA an important anchor point and said that the process is bigger than the individual parties. He called on those involved to continue together.

The parties see the BES Healthcare CLA as a start and as a solid foundation on which further steps can be taken to jointly address labor market and employment conditions issues. It was agreed that a roadmap will be drawn up, on the basis of which the parties will carry out further activities in a structured way: in the area of employment conditions in the CLA, in the area of the labor market with a joint platform, and on the topic of pension. The meeting was ceremonially concluded with the presentation of the CLA publication to the parties involved.

The BES Healthcare CLA 2024 through 2026 has a term of three years and took effect on January 1, 2024. It is the first joint CLA for the five healthcare employers Fundashon Mariadal, Sint Eustatius Health Care Foundation, Sint Eustatius Auxiliary Home Foundation, Mental Health Caribbean and Saba Cares Foundation, together with the unions AFBW, ALL for 1 and SUPLUA. This CLA contains agreements that improve employees' employment conditions and strengthen their vitality.

With the BES Healthcare CLA, the parties limit competition on employment conditions as much as possible. It also contributes to labor mobility, because the healthcare organizations largely apply the same employment conditions, making it easier for employees to take part in exchange programs or move to another healthcare organization. Given the situation on the labor market on the BES, both aspects are of great importance. A healthy and well-functioning labor market is necessary to continue providing care to residents.