UTS-union Sitkom angry at Columbus licence

August 05, 2008 12:16 PM

UTS-union Sitkom is against the decision of Telecom-minister Maurice Adriaens (FOL) to give the company Columbus Networks Curaçao a local licence to start providing international telephony and broadband-internet.  According to Sitkom-chair Emilio Brinken, Adriaens is consciously trying to harm UTS.  The minister is contradicting this.

The Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) has meanwhile approved the licence to Columbus.  The final decision is now with the Council of Ministers that will most probably decide on this at the end of August.  Sitkom is against this state of affairs and indicates that it will do everything in its power to avoid the issuing of the licence.
According to Brunken, the UTS-personnel is concerned about the future of the company and the employment, and they are willing to take actions.

“We already warned for this when this minister took office.  For one reason or the other, the minister is not well-disposed towards UTS.  He wants to break UTS under the guise of lower prices.  He’s constantly saying that UTS must lower the expenses.  He wants UTS to lay off people.”

Sitkom sent a letter to the Council of Ministers this morning, requesting a meeting. The union also had a meeting this afternoon to discuss possible actions, which are not ruled out at this moment.  Adriaens says that he cannot understand Sitkom’s attitude.  “I regret the fact that the union resists a positive development for the entire society.  They only consider what’s good for their company, but forget the general interest.  We want lower tariffs and that more people can start using broadband-internet.”
According to the minister, between 10.000 and 14.000 people in Curacao currently have access to broadband-internet (more than 1 Mb, red.).  That’s way too little. Columbus will offer lower prices and that would allow more people to take broadband-internet.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

July 28, 2008