OWOS union election unrest in Suriname

The Ogem Werknemersorganisatie Suriname (OWOS) union experienced significant unrest during its board elections in Paramaribo. On the eve of the vote, three masked individuals in a grey vehicle without license plates opened fire on the union building on the Drambrandersgracht.

During the attack, 30-year-old union member Earl Ceder was intercepted, dragged from the premises, assaulted, and robbed of a gold necklace. Ceder was shot in the upper right leg and transported to the Emergency Department of the Academic Hospital Paramaribo for treatment. The Korps Politie Suriname has launched an investigation into the incident, though a direct connection to the elections remains unconfirmed.

Amidst the violence, internal tensions escalated as OWOS chairman Marciano Hellings accused Leo Brunswijk, general director of Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS), of interfering in the election process. Hellings alleged that management was creating an unequal playing field by restricting his access to sites while allowing opposing candidates more resources.

Following the election, Marciano Hellings and his faction, Team ‘Renewable’, were re-elected with 586 votes, defeating Team Bondru. While the results were accepted by the opposing team, the period was characterized by legal disputes and allegations of employer intimidation. In response to the instability, several other unions, including those at MAS, Staatsolie, and Luchthavenbeheer, expressed solidarity with OWOS and called for the protection of union independence.