WILLEMSTAD – Workers at the Analytisch Diagnostisch Centrum (ADC) in Otrobanda walked off the job on Thursday, 3 September. Staff gathered in front of the building in protest over the collective labour agreement. Union CBV warns that the problems are not limited to ADC and that industrial action may follow at other healthcare institutions as well.
Union official Suares-Mathilda addressed the workers at ADC. According to her, the employees have valid reasons to be dissatisfied, but at the same time the continuity of care must be taken into account. She urged staff to remain calm and to stay near the ADC building.
According to Èxtra, the immediate cause of the action is the collective labour agreement that workers have been waiting for for some time. CBV says it has been drawing attention to working conditions and problems within Curaçao’s healthcare sector for four years, without receiving an adequate response, according to the union.
The union places the action at ADC in a broader context. Last week, staff at the Curaçao Medical Center held a meeting during working hours regarding the collective labour agreement. CMC announced on 24 August that it would resume negotiations with CBV on a new agreement. The hospital aims to introduce a first improvement to employment conditions from January 2027.
According to Suares-Mathilda, workers at various healthcare institutions face similar problems. She therefore expects that staff at other institutions may also begin to take action.
ADC is Curaçao’s national laboratory and plays a role in medical diagnostics and public healthcare. It is not yet clear to what extent Thursday’s action has had consequences for patients, blood draws, and other services.
