Employees at Espérance Airport in Grand-Case have been awarded the Medal of Honour for Work
The ceremony took place on Friday evening in the presence of the recipients’ friends and family, in a warm and friendly atmosphere filled with memories.
For the occasion, the terminal hall had been decked out in festive finery to give a fitting welcome to the staff of the Saint-Martin Grand-Case airport, who were in the spotlight. Following a general presentation by two firefighters, who were keen to illustrate their talk with some entertaining anecdotes, a slideshow tracing the history of the site was shown to the audience, who reacted to certain photos – some of which were amusing and others moving. Prefect Cyrille Le Vély then presided over the presentation of the medals on behalf of the Minister for Labour and Solidarity.
The ceremony provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the commitment, loyalty and career paths of staff members with many years of service, and to highlight their contribution to the operation and development of the airport. Philippe Chevalier, former Chief Executive of Air Caraïbes, had made the trip to reaffirm his attachment to Grand Case Airport, which he believes has a real soul, and whose staff left a particularly poignant impression on him, especially during their mobilisation in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
29 people honoured
The 11 recipients of the Silver Medal are: Emile Hodge, Sybout Brown, Rodrigue Hamlet, Jean Dollison, Job Dorsinvil, Alex Andrew, Sabrina Ericher, Tatiana Charbonnier, Sabrina Charville, Curvin James and Luise Brooks.
The 9 Vermeil medallists are: Alida Etienne, Daniel Richarson, Pascal Marcoux, Sylvie Boricaud, Jean-Marie Richardson, Sophia Bryan, François Carmont, Bruno Minini, Sabrina Rachel.
The two Gold medallists are: Nadika Weinum and Max Carty.
The seven Grand Gold medallists are: Chrystelle Giry, Franklin Simon, Jean-Louis Joe, Michaël Hodge, Rosan Amiens, Urbain Lake and Glen Brooks.
The Medal of Honour for Long Service has four levels
Silver: 20 years, Vermeil: 30 years, Gold: 35 years, Grand Gold: 40 years. It is not automatically awarded to all employees who reach the required length of service; it must be applied for. This application can be made by the employee themselves or by their employer, and to do so, a file must be compiled, including, in particular, evidence of employment history.
On this occasion, the company may pay a bonus, but this depends in particular on the collective agreement, a specific agreement or company practice. The amount can therefore vary considerably from one company to another. For example, some companies provide a different sum for 20, 30, 35 and 40 years’ service, whilst others provide nothing at all. Another important detail is that the physical medal itself is not necessarily provided free of charge by the State. It may be struck and engraved at the expense of either the employee or the employer. However, the state does issue the official certificate confirming the award.
