Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Sint Maarten

The Committee notes the observations of the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) received on 30 September 2020, which allege that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI), a governmental agency, has established the Soualiga Employer Association (SEA), an umbrella organization to represent employers, including at the tripartite Socio Economic Council (SER). The SHTA alleges that through the COCI and the SEA, the Government is attempting to establish an employer representative organization that is more in line with the Government’s position and does not reflect actual diligent representation and that this appears to be an attempt to marginalize the existing employer representative groups. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments on these serious allegations.

The Committee also requests the Government to reply in full to other pending comments under the Convention adopted in 2017.