This means that the residents of this retirement home have no access to healthcare after 3 p.m. and in the weekend. Jerrel Mac Intosh, chairman of the union at the Esther Stichting, explained that the employees worked in shifts for the past 7 years but that they were never paid for working these shifts. He pointed out that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing (Sozavo) informed the workers that they must work five days in the week namely Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

According to the chairman, Sozavo should start addressing the problems by appointing a new director as the foundation currently does not have one. Mac Intosh emphasized the fact that the workers are not on strike as they are only doing the work that they get paid for. Several volunteers are currently helping out at the Esther Stichting. The workers made it clear that they will only work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. until a structural solution has been found.