Guide to Doing Business
in Suriname

Employees have the right to join a labour union. In Suriname executives and higher function staff members do not engage in membership of Unions. An employer is obliged to negotiate the terms of a Collective Labour Agreement with a labour union when:

1. the union is organized as a legal entity;
2. the articles of association of such legal entity explicitly stipulate that the union is authorized to conclude a Collective Labour Agreement; and
3. the representative union of the workers in the enterprise concerned, represents the employees to whom the Collective Labour Agreement will be applicable.

In case there is reasonable doubt whether a labour union represents the employees to whom the Collective Labour Agreement will be applicable, the Mediation Board (Bemiddelingsraad) will hold a referendum upon request of the employer or the labour union, to determine if a majority of the employees authorizes the labour union to negotiate and deal on their behalf.

In case there is reasonable doubt whether a labour union represents the employees to whom the collective labour agreement will apply to, the National Labour Mediation Counsel (Bemiddelingsraad) will hold a referendum upon request of the employer or the labour union, to determine if a majority of the employees authorizes the labour union to negotiate on their behalf.