BES Islands Healthcare Sector Reaches Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement

Labor unions and healthcare institutions across the BES islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba) have successfully negotiated a groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement (CBA), marking the first joint agreement of its kind in the region’s healthcare sector.

Key Agreement Terms

Healthcare workers throughout the BES islands will receive a 3.15 percent salary increase effective January 1, 2026. The agreement also welcomes ZW-Groep as a new signatory, further strengthening the collaborative partnership.

Beyond immediate compensation improvements, the parties have committed to comprehensive reforms in several critical areas:

• Enhanced leave policies: Improvements to special leave and sick leave provisions
• Employee wellness: New vitality initiatives for healthcare staff
• Pension reform: Efforts to increase control over the PCN pension scheme
• Regional coordination: Establishment of a Healthcare Labor Market Platform BES

Platform Launch and Digital Infrastructure

The new Healthcare Labor Market Platform BES will officially launch in January 2026, featuring a dedicated website designed to strengthen cooperation between institutions and improve recruitment efforts across the islands.

Historic Partnership

This landmark agreement represents the first joint CBA between five major healthcare employers and three labor unions:

Healthcare Employers:

• Fundashon Mariadal
• Sint-Eustatius Health Care Foundation
• Sint-Eustatius Auxiliary Home Foundation
• Mental Health Caribbean
• Saba Cares Foundation

Labor Unions:

• AFBW (Algemene Federatie van Beroepskrachten en Werknemers)
• ALL for 1
• SUPLUA

Strategic Objectives

The agreement aims to achieve three primary goals:

1. Standardized working conditions across all participating healthcare institutions
2. Enhanced staff mobility between islands and organizations
3. Strengthened healthcare labor market capable of meeting the unique needs of the BES islands

This comprehensive agreement represents a significant step forward in addressing healthcare workforce challenges while ensuring sustainable, high-quality healthcare delivery throughout the Caribbean Netherlands.