Paternity leave in Sint Maarten was introduced in October 2022, giving partners the right to a few days of paid leave after the birth of their child. This was a crucial step forward for families.
However, presently, civil servants working for the Government of Sint Maarten still do not receive this benefit.
This law was never properly updated by the Ministry of General Affairs – specifically the Vakantie en Vrijstelling van Dienst regulation, which was not amended to include paternity leave for government employees.
This means there is still a difference between the private and public sector.
Recently, a Member of Parliament (MP) called for more paternity leave days. While this is a positive discussion, it also raises questions. The same basic paternity leave that already exists has not yet been applied to eligible civil servants.
What makes this situation notable is that the MP who raised this issue is from the same URSM party as the Prime Minister, who is responsible for making the necessary adjustments for government workers.
It also points to a lack of cohesion within the working relationship of the coalition when it comes to addressing this issue.
This shows that before expanding benefits, it is important to make sure the current law is being properly applied to everyone.
I’m urging the Prime Minister to take the necessary steps to finalize the legality of this law, so it can be properly implemented as soon as possible for eligible civil servants. It is also important to check if this law is being properly executed within the public and private school boards.
Almost 4 years have passed, and civil servants can’t benefit due to stagnation in regulating the amendment to this law. It seems that no union board or elected MP is pushing for Government to finalize this law.
Therefore, I’m requesting that all parties involved put their full attention to properly legalizing this matter.
Gromyko Wilson
Straightforward and Incorruptible !!!
