PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) says Corporate Governance Council (CGC) has not leaked any information to them that resulted in their calling for TelEm Group to re-open its vacancy for the Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) position.

 

The union made the call in a recent letter to Prime Minister William Marlin. SMCU’s comments about CGC were in reaction to reports that Marlin had asked CGC to make its positions available, a move that coalition partner Democratic Party (DP) said it was not consulted on, and one it does not agree with.

 

“The Prime Minister has the wrong notion that members of CGC leaked information to the unions on matters related to an advice on the candidate(s) for the CEO of TelEm Group. At no time did SMCU claim to have obtained any information or advice from members of the CGC,” the union said in a press release on Tuesday.

 

“The union has neither a relationship nor any affiliation with CGC. The only statement by the SMCU was pertaining to a resolution signed by 72 employees of TelEm Group, requesting to re-open the vacancy for the CEO position and allowing employees to apply for the CEO function.”

 

The union said the issue that deserves “immediate attention” is the fact that the Supervisory Board of Directors of TelEm only has three members, while the required number of members is five. “This is alarming because, of the three members, one could be the next CEO, which would bring the board down to two members. The shareholder representative should have already recruited new members to undergo screenings. SMCU sincerely hopes the process of screening new candidates has already begun,” the union said.

 

Also deserving of immediate attention, the union noted, is the fact that the company’s Articles of Incorporation do not correspond with what is registered at the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI). The Articles of Incorporation, the union said, indicates that there are two statutory directors: the CEO and the CFO. However, there are three statutory directors registered at the COCI. “These changes at the Chamber of Commerce appear to have been done without being notarised. It is because of this illegal situation and for the sake of transparency that SMCU and its members are requesting to re-open the vacancy of the CEO function. The positions of the board of directors and managing team of TelEm are the positions that should immediately be made available based on (these) illegal situations.”

 

The Daily Herald