With great astonishment and profound dismay, we received the news that on 06 March our valuable colleague and esteemed friend Oscar Semerel passed away in his hometown Willemstad, Curaçao. Oscar Semerel was 83 years old.
He was founder and co-founder of different trade unions in Curaçao and Latin America and the Caribbean. He was well-connected to the Latin American Central of Workers (CLAT), and to the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). He also participated in numerous meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The last years he was very active in organisations dedicated to pensioners.
His health had been problematic for some years already but deteriorated rapidly of late. He was intensively cared for in hospital but this could not prevent his passing away.
Oscar Semerel was a bastion of the trade union struggle in Curaçao, Latin America and the world. With his passing away the trade union world lost a legendary trade unionist.
May you rest in peace!
