On September 11, four major trade union organizations in Suriname — the unions of MAS, Staatsolie, Airport Management, and the Forest Management and Supervision Foundation — issued a joint statement affirming their unwavering, unconditional solidarity with the Ogem Workers Organization Suriname (OWOS), as the independent labor movement faces escalating, severe threats to its autonomy.
Concerns over external interference in OWOS’s internal affairs first emerged ahead of the organization’s recent leadership elections, with multiple sources pointing to unauthorized meddling by the management board of EBS into the union’s internal processes. In their joint statement, the four supporting unions emphasized that employers have no legitimate place in the governing structure of an independent trade union, mirroring the long-standing principle that unions do not interfere in corporate management decision-making. The groups stressed this reciprocal non-interference must be respected by both sides.
“An independent trade union must be fully free to select its own leadership and advocate for its members’ interests, free from external pressure or improper preferential treatment,” the statement read. The supporting unions also issued a direct warning to workers who have accepted favorable treatment from EBS amid the interference: if OWOS loses its independence, those workers will ultimately pay a heavy price for the concessions they have accepted in the short term.
Tensions in the conflict escalated dramatically last week when the OWOS union headquarters was targeted in a shooting attack that left one person injured. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the attack is directly linked to the ongoing leadership election dispute and external interference, but the four supporting unions made clear that all forms of violence and intimidation against labor organizers are completely unacceptable, no matter the context.
In a forceful rebuke of the escalating threats, the joint statement declared: “Abuse of power, intimidation, threats, and violence must never be used to influence the free choice of workers or undermine the independence of their union.” The unions called on all involved parties to take immediate steps to prevent further escalation, and to allow the rule of law to proceed unimpeded, with a particular focus on tracking down the perpetrators of the shooting attack and holding them fully accountable for their actions.
Addressing the leadership and members of OWOS directly, the supporting unions offered words of encouragement and resolve: “Do not back down in the face of intimidation. Do not let fear decide who leads your union. We will not respond to violence with violence, but with unwavering resolve and the democratic tools available to us.”
The statement closed with a stark warning for the entire nation of Suriname: if intimidation succeeds in silencing the independent labor movement, the entire country will face severe consequences. The unified message from the four major unions was clear and uncompromising: Hands off the independent trade union movement!