标签： Suriname

Just two days ahead of the September 11 leadership elections for the Ogem Workers’ Organization of Suriname (OWOS), the incumbent union board has launched a formal accusation against the management of Energie Bedrijven Suriname (EBS), the country’s state-owned energy utility, claiming the company has illegally interfered in the internal democratic process of the workers’ union. Incumbent OWOS president Marciano Hellings detailed the alleged interference during a press conference held at the union’s headquarters on September 9, outlining what he says has been a pattern of obstruction against his re-election campaign and favorable treatment for the opposing candidate slate, Team Bondru.

The road to the September 11 vote has already been marked by legal conflict, with multiple summary proceedings brought between EBS management, the incumbent OWOS board, and Team Bondru in the lead-up to the election date. After extended court proceedings, all parties ultimately reached an agreement to allow the vote to proceed as scheduled on September 11. The electoral process is being overseen by lawyers Guno Castelen and Glen van der San, who also sit on the independent election commission, with voting open to all registered union members across the country. In total, 1,009 EBS workers are eligible to cast ballots, and Hellings expressed confidence that a majority of voters will renew the incumbent board’s mandate.

This year’s leadership election coincides with ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between the union and EBS. Hellings emphasized that the outgoing board delivered tangible progress for workers during its first term, and that if re-elected, the group’s top priorities will be further improvements to base wages, secondary employment benefits, and workplace conditions. The central goal of these efforts, he noted, is to strengthen workers’ financial resilience to combat Suriname’s ongoing inflation and broader economic headwinds.

At the core of the conflict with EBS management is its unequal treatment of the two candidate slates, according to Hellings. He presented documentation to back up claims that EBS has repeatedly failed to honor existing agreements with the incumbent union, pointing to the long-delayed maintenance and repair of a union-owned vehicle that management previously committed to covering. In stark contrast, Hellings alleged that Team Bondru candidates have been given access to at least four company-owned vehicles to run their campaign across all regions of Suriname. He added that unlike Team Bondru’s presidential candidate, he has been blocked from entering EBS properties to meet with rank-and-file workers and introduce his platform.

Hellings further claimed that audio recordings exist showing senior EBS leaders openly favor the departure of the current OWOS board, and specifically his ouster as union president. The recordings also allegedly include suggestions to third parties that workers who vote to re-elect Hellings could face negative consequences for their employment. The content and origin of these recordings were not independently verified during the press conference. Hellings attributed the hostile relationship with EBS management to his board’s consistent, business-like critical stance in negotiations with the employer – a stance he said workers elected the board to take.

“The mandate our members gave us is clear: we will not cozy up to the employer, keep members distracted with empty stories and trivial concessions while our organization and its members fall into poverty,” Hellings said. “Our job is to be professional, hold firm, and win every possible benefit for our people. If workers no longer support this approach, they will make that clear at the ballot box. From what I have seen, that is not the case.”

The alleged interference by EBS leadership has already been reported to the Union of Assertive Trade Unions (UvAV), the national trade union federation that OWOS is affiliated with. According to Hellings, the federation has already publicly condemned outside interference in union internal elections. The OWOS board has also formally notified the EBS Board of Commissioners and Suriname’s Ministry of Labour about the situation. The union is also preparing to inform the Council of Trade Union Centres in Suriname (Ravaksur) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the alleged interference. Hellings did not rule out launching collective union action to push back against EBS if the situation is not resolved. “If this continues, we are prepared to launch industrial action to force management to stop interfering in the internal affairs of the workers’ union,” he said.

A newly approved 15% across-the-board salary increase for public sector employees in Suriname has taken retroactive effect starting September 1, 2026, bringing substantial monthly pay bumps to the country’s top political leadership, while the judicial branch has opted out of the raise following consultations with President Jennifer Simons. The new salary structure, formalized via government resolution on September 8, also extends the 15% increase to public pension payments, with updated salaries scheduled to be disbursed to workers by the end of September. The pay adjustment emerged from collective negotiations between the government and national labor unions, extending to all public servants and equivalent positions across state institutions.

Under the revised pay scale, the highest base salary for a senior department director is set at SRD 37,480 per month. All political leadership pay is calculated as a percentage of this benchmark figure. The Surinamese president receives a base salary equal to 400% of the department director benchmark, totaling SRD 149,920 monthly. On top of this base, the president is eligible for multiple fixed-percentage allowances: a 55% representation allowance worth SRD 82,456 and a 45% management allowance of SRD 67,464, bringing the pre-conditional allowance total to SRD 299,840. Two additional conditional allowances may also apply: a 10% telecom allowance, granted if no state-provided telecom infrastructure is available, and a 10% security allowance offered as a cash alternative to state-funded electronic security. If both conditional allowances are applied, the president’s total monthly pay reaches SRD 329,824. This figure does not include the value of additional state-provided benefits the president is entitled to, including official housing and full transportation coverage (a state vehicle, fuel, and a professional driver); if the official residence is unavailable, the state covers all legally mandated housing costs.

For the vice president, base pay is set at 75% of the presidential base salary, totaling SRD 112,440 per month. The vice president receives a 40% representation allowance (SRD 44,976) and a 35% management allowance (SRD 39,354), for a pre-conditional total of SRD 196,770. Like the president, the vice president is eligible for 10% conditional telecom and security allowances, bringing the maximum total monthly pay to SRD 219,258. The vice president also receives state-funded housing and transportation benefits that are not included in the calculated cash total.

Cabinet ministers receive a base salary equal to 60% of the presidential base, coming out to SRD 89,952 per month. Additional fixed allowances include 25% for representation (SRD 22,488), 10% for management (SRD 8,995), and 25% for housing (SRD 22,488). Conditional allowances include a 30% transportation allowance (SRD 26,986) granted when no state vehicle is provided, a 7.5% telecom allowance (SRD 6,746), and a 10% cash security allowance (SRD 8,995). When all applicable allowances are included, the average minister’s total monthly pay reaches SRD 186,650, with slightly adjusted percentages applied for the Minister of Foreign Affairs for specific position-related benefits.

For members of the National Assembly (DNA), the 15% increase has pushed the average total monthly pay from approximately SRD 131,309 to SRD 151,007, a jump of just under SRD 19,700 per month. Prior to the adjustment, an ordinary DNA member received a base salary of SRD 66,486, with additional allowances for representation, housing, security, transportation, and telecommunications bringing the pre-hike total to SRD 131,309. The revised structure raises the average base salary for ordinary members to SRD 76,459, with all existing percentage-based allowances increasing proportionally to reach the new total.

Notably, the judicial branch of Suriname’s government has confirmed it will not accept the 15% salary increase, a decision reached through closed consultations with President Jennifer Simons.

On September 8, a cohort of 20 Dutch military personnel marked a key career milestone, successfully completing the intensive 4.5-month 2026-01 Group Commander Course at the Netherlands Institute for Defense Training (IDO). The graduating service members posed for an official group photograph with their completion certificates following the ceremony, capping off a rigorous program designed to prepare them for frontline leadership roles within the national defense organization.

The course curriculum was structured around three core pillars: effective leadership, strict operational discipline, and tactical team management, blending theoretical instruction and hands-on field training to equip candidates for the heavy responsibilities of their new command positions. Captain Dyoma Blokland, commandant of the Military School (MS) that partnered with IDO to deliver the program, explained that the theoretical segment of the training is broken into specialized modules tailored to build the foundational knowledge and technical skills required for sergeants moving into command roles. The practical segment, which includes a full field exercise, gives candidates the opportunity to apply their new learning in realistic operational scenarios, allowing instructors to assess and validate their capabilities before graduation.

In her remarks to the graduating class, Blokland emphasized that the skills and insights gained through the program must be actively carried into every operational assignment. “Take these lessons with you, and share them across your teams in all of your daily work,” she told the newly commissioned commanders.

Colonel Justus Hew A Kee, commandant of the IDO, highlighted the outsized importance of the group commander role in the Dutch defense hierarchy, noting that the 20 graduates already brought years of frontline practical experience to the training, but had lacked the formal theoretical foundation needed to step into command. The course was designed specifically to bridge that gap, integrating hands-on expertise with structured institutional knowledge to build well-rounded leaders.

Hew A Kee described the group commander as the critical linchpin between senior command and frontline execution. “You are the first point of contact in crisis scenarios, the steady voice when chaos unfolds, and the anchor that keeps your team on course when pressure is at its peak,” he said. He stressed that the position demands not just physical toughness, but above all moral courage: group commanders must be willing to make hard decisions, take accountability for missteps, and advocate for the service members under their care.

In closing, Hew A Kee urged the new commanders to enforce strict standards when necessary, but always to do so with fairness and integrity. True leadership, he reminded the cohort, is not rooted in power, rank, or simply issuing orders – it grows from positive influence, leading by example, and building a team culture where every member can trust their colleagues and their command.