Initiative to Change working hours in Aruba

Aruba is not escaping global climate change. Aruba is already affected by heat waves and will become more frequent, intense, and last longer. Those who are directly affected daily are our elderly and our workers who work outside without shade and air conditioning.

Our labor laws are from different decades, some based on concepts from another century and an old economic model that does not fit this time. We cannot continue with laws that force workers to work long hours in the sun and at high temperatures.

According to Minister of Transport, Integrity, Nature, and Elderly Affairs Ursell Arends, labor laws in Aruba must recognize and adapt to climate change. The world is changing, and we must adapt to it. Meanwhile, he has invited all unions to a meeting and various sector organizations from the private sector to start a survey on changes in labor laws. It must be a participatory and democratic process.

Recently, Minister Arends met with the National Climate Resilience Council (NCRC), the authority in Aruba on climate change. He asked the NCRC to prepare and submit an in-depth report (white paper) by August 30, outlining the best global practices for adapting labor laws to the effects of climate change. It should also indicate what concrete steps the Government of Aruba can take in labor laws within the climate adaptation framework.

Once the decision-critical information is ready, this topic will be on the agenda of the Council of Ministers. The information will highlight the need for change and a roadmap, requiring the participation of various ministries to achieve this change.