Today, as we celebrate Labor Day, we celebrate you, the hardworking people of Sint Maarten.
We recognize the teachers shaping young minds, the justice workers maintaining order, the civil servants ensuring continuity, the hospitality and tourism workers welcoming the world, the construction workers building our infrastructure, the utility workers keeping essential services running, our nurses and healthcare professionals caring for our community, and every worker across every sector who contributes daily to the strength of this nation. Your dedication keeps our country moving forward.
This year’s theme, “Tripartism,” is more than a principle it is a necessity. True progress requires strong, structured, and consistent collaboration between Government, Employers, and Workers. When these three pillars function in balance, we create stability. When one is weakened or unheard, the entire system feels the impact.
Tripartism demands meaningful dialogue not symbolic consultation. It calls for transparency, accountability, and the genuine inclusion of workers’ voices in national decision-making. It requires that policies affecting labor, wages, social protection, and working conditions are shaped through engagement, not imposed without consultation.
Labor Day is not only a celebration of past victories; it is a call to action. Workers deserve:
- Fair and equitable wages
- Safe and healthy working environments
- Respect for collective bargaining rights
- Modern and enforceable labor legislation
- Social protection that safeguards dignity
Sustainable economic growth cannot exist without worker security. A thriving business climate cannot be separated from decent working conditions. Government policy must balance fiscal responsibility with social justice. This is the foundation of real tripartism.
As workers’ representatives within the Tripartite Committee, we remain steadfast in our commitment to defend workers’ rights, strengthen social dialogue, and promote industrial peace built on fairness and mutual respect. Partnership does not mean silence it means constructive engagement with a clear purpose and shared responsibility.
Let this Labor Day renew our collective determination to deepen cooperation, uphold workers’ dignity, and ensure that development in Sint Maarten benefits all not a few, but everyone who labors to build this country. Together, through strong tripartite collaboration, we can secure a future rooted in fairness, opportunity, and shared progress.
On behalf of the workers’ representatives of the Tripartite Committee, we wish you a proud and empowered Labor Day.
In solidarity,
Sharon Cangieter
President, WICSU-PSU
2nd Vice Chair, Tripartite Committee for Labor Day
