Arubus workers demand concrete date and solution on salaries

ORANJESTAD — Arubus N.V. employees sent an open letter to the Government of Aruba on Friday afternoon and to Minister Arthur Dowers, demanding clarity, a concrete date and action regarding their salaries after more than 10 years of waiting for the issue to be resolved. Noticiacla received a copy of the letter.

In the letter, the workers acknowledge that Arubus faces financial problems and that the subsidy provided by the government is insufficient. They also refer to the company’s financial obligations, including debt owed to DIMP. However, they stress that employees did not cause the situation.

“None of these financial problems were caused by the workers,” the letter states.

The group questions why, if the government itself recognizes that the annual subsidy is insufficient, the amount remains at a level that does not allow the company to operate properly and meet its obligations toward employees.

One of the central questions in the letter is: “After more than 10 years of waiting, when exactly will the Government and Arubus N.V. resolve the salary issue for the workers?”

The employees are asking for a concrete plan, including a date, and also question why there are plans for building renovations, the San Nicolas terminal, equipment, trucks and new buses, while there is still no definitive solution for their salaries.

The condition of the bus fleet is another concern. According to the workers, many buses are out of service and there are not enough vehicles to cover all routes. They are asking the government and management to explain what the immediate plan is to get enough buses back on the road.

The workers make clear that they are not opposed to investments in renovations, maintenance or new buses. “Workers are not against renovations, new buses, maintenance, buildings or other investments. We know all of that is necessary. But the workers are necessary too,” the letter continues.

According to the letter, employees continue to report to work and keep the public transportation system running despite the shortage of buses and other operational difficulties. They question why every financial or operational problem ultimately seems to affect the same group.

“We are not responsible for an insufficient subsidy. We are not responsible for the debt to DIMP. We are not responsible for the company’s financial decisions. We are not responsible for the shortage of buses,” the letter says.

The letter closes with a direct call on the government to stop making general promises and instead provide “concrete answers, a concrete date and action.”

The workers stress that without functioning buses there is no public transportation, but that without employees the system cannot function either: “We are important too.”

With the open letter, the employees are increasing pressure on the Government and Arubus N.V. to finally clarify how and when the salary issue will be addressed, while the company continues to face financial and operational challenges.

The question now is whether the government will respond with a concrete timetable and plan, or whether the workers — after more than a decade of waiting — will once again be left without clarity about their position and future within Aruba’s public transportation system.