January 28, 1999
SURINAME TEACHERS UNION (SOB) CONTEMPLATES FURTHER
ACTIONS
The Suriname Teachers Union has held a meeting yesterday during which it
was deceided that the teachers will continue with their actions and it
is likely that these actions will intensify if the government continues
to ignore their demands. The results of the meeting between the CLO and
the government were also discussed. The SOB plans to hold another meeting
again tomorrow where plans for further actions will be made. The SOB hopes
to form a united front to press the government to give in to their demands
for better buying power.
FRED DERBY ACCUSES GOVERNMENT OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
DIAKONESSEN HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL MISSIONARIES
According to Fred Derby, Chairman of the Diakonessen Workers Union, the
government is not only guilty of discrimination actions towards this hospital
and its workers but also towards the Medical Missionaries in the country.
Derby spoke of the governments agreement to increase the tariffs at the
St. Vincent Hospital while the same request that was sent in by the Diakonessen
Hospital was cast aside. This again points to a situation of divide and
rule. The St vincent Workers Union is attached to the Mother Union while
the Diakonessen Workers Union is attached to C-47. Derby went on to state
that the workers at the States's Hospital have held a protest demonstration
yesterday and that it only a matter of time before the workers of the Diakonessen
Hospital followed their example. Derby spoke of arguments that took place
in the Assembly while discussing the financial problems at the Diakonessen
Hospital where members often criticized the hospital's financial management.
Derby dismissed these as insinuations that were made by people who did
not know better or who were fed misinformation. Derby spoke of the huge
debt of 22 billion that the government owes the medical sector stating
that from the past budgets one could see that the Medical and Educational
sectors have been given a different rating than in the past. This according
to Derby is the reason why Suriname no longer holds the first position
in the Caricom in these two sectors.
DJAWALAPERSAD STARTS DIALOGUE DISCUSSIONS WITH ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS
Assembly's Chairman Marijke Djawalapersad has begun a round of dialogue
with Assembly members over the stagnation at the Assembly. Djawapersad
has been trying since October to get enough members interested to attend
the meetings but so far all of her efforts have failed. The quorum question
remains a problem for the Chaiman who has 26 Bills waiting to be discussed
along with the MOP and the budget for 1999. Fred Derby was the first to
be interviewed but all efforts on the part of the press to get comments
from him over this meeting were turned down by Derby who stated that the
meeting was confidential. Derby also met with President Jules Wijdenbosch.
Over this meeting Derby also had no comments for the press.
-End-