A long-running high-profile labor dispute between Suriname’s state-owned utility N.V. Energie Bedrijven Suriname (EBS) and the head of its employee union has entered a new legal phase, after the company officially filed an appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked its attempt to terminate the union leader’s employment contract.
Court documents from the Cantonal Court of Civil Affairs show EBS filed its formal notice of appeal through legal representative Rick Tjon-A-Joe on May 18, confirming the public energy provider rejects the April 30, 2026 ruling issued by the cantonal judge. The appeal has already been registered with the High Court of Justice under case number 2026H00187, and formal notification of the appeal was officially served to Marciano Hellings — president of the EBS employees’ union OWOS — by a court bailiff this Monday.
The conflict stretches back to mid-2025, when EBS executive leadership summarily fired Hellings immediately after he made public criticisms of company management in social media posts. The dismissal was quickly challenged by labor regulators: both the Suriname Labor Inspection and the national Dismissal Commission ruled the grounds cited by EBS for termination were insufficient, noting that Hellings was acting in his official capacity as a union leader and is entitled to broad protections for freedom of expression. When the Dismissal Commission refused to approve termination of Hellings’ contract, EBS turned to the cantonal court to request that the employment agreement be dissolved anyway.
In its April 2026 ruling, the cantonal judge rejected EBS’s request outright. The court found that EBS itself shared responsibility for escalating the conflict with the union leader, and that the company had failed to prove that continuing the employment relationship was impossible.
Per EBS’s existing policy for the duration of the appeal process, Hellings remains excused from reporting for work, but his full salary and health benefits will remain in place, according to statements from the company. Hellings has said he expected EBS to file an appeal, and expressed confidence that the High Court of Justice will uphold the lower court’s ruling in his favor.
This dispute has stood as one of the most closely watched labor conflicts at a state-owned entity in Suriname in recent years, and the appeal means the legal fight will continue. A final binding ruling now rests with the High Court of Justice.