Telbo and Curoil with referendum for new union representation

In Bonaire the situation is tense, with two referendums currently on the way. A referendum in Telbo and one in Curoil. Both referendums were forced because the ABVO union did not want to acknowledge that it no longer had a majority of organized workers in either Telbo or Curoil.

In both cases the boxes were full. The Civil Code regulates termination of membership of an association, whereas de facto all unions are. In principle, there are four reasons for termination of membership, they are: By death of the member; By termination by writ of the member; By termination by the union; By expulsion.

Just as the organization can expel a member immediately because it cannot tolerate the person’s membership, the member also has the right to terminate his membership immediately if he considers that he can no longer be a member of the organization. Obviously, a reasonable period of anticipation should be given for the organization to administratively process the withdrawal.

There is also a law “arbeidsgeschillenwet 1946” which in article 14a provides that at the request of an employer and/or one or more trade unions can ask mediators to organise a referendum with the aim of determining which trade union the majority of the workers wish to represent their labour interests.

It is customary for either an employer or a union to call such a referendum if there is doubt that the union actually has a majority. In the case of TELBO and also in the case of CORROIL this doubt is unfounded. In the case of Telbo, managers and ABVO received notification of most of the workers they had laid off from ABVO by the end of June 2023.

This they did by letter dated May 25, so giving a month’s advance. On the same date they informed management to stop withholding the monthly contribution from their salary. Twice they refused to be baptized. The mediator also informed the manager that he had seen a list where most of the workers were enrolled in AFBW.

In the case of Curoil the same happened, as the vast majority withdrew from the ABVO union and also instructed management to stop withholding tax from their salaries. Curoil came to the conclusion that the management itself had organized a survey in an anonymous manner in order to find out which union the majority of its workers wanted to join.

at the table and represent their professional interests. So for all the parties involved, such as the management of both Telbo and Curoil, but also for the two unions ABVO, AFBW and for the entire community there can be no doubt which union the workers have appointed to represent them. ABVO’s attempt to search every corner of the Civil Code and other laws has only one goal, namely to break the law and ensure that the labor interests of the workers at both Telbo and Curoil can be served in a dignified and fair manner. Emotional cries that trade unionism is endangered on Bonaire are unfounded. It is precisely on Bonaire that trade union development has taken a modern direction and that trade unionism on Bonaire has gained recognition and respect from both employers and governments. It should be noted that since 10-10-10 Bonaire has chosen a different path and cannot continue with the customs that reigned under Antioch. So I want to congratulate the four new members who have been installed by ABVO Boneiro and I sincerely hope that they can come with fresh air and with them if they stand up to practice union solidarity in the UNION and not act from the possession of power and certainly not to use the law against their own members, but practice justice in general and social justice in particular. Do not forget that the law permitted slavery, but that slavery is a crime against humanity.

Do not forget that the law allowed to retire the female civil servant if she became pregnant, but we all realized that the law was against the human right of a woman to become a mother. and so the Civil Code is not for a union to be against its own members. Do not forget that the union exists thanks to the members and not wrong by right and that the directive is to serve the interests of the members and not to abuse the power given by the members themselves.