On the 1st of July 1863, Dutch slavery was abolished in Suriname and the former Netherlands Antilles. However, in reality, enslaved people were forced to work for 10 more years until 1873. The consequences of Dutch colonialism and slavery continue to have an impact on our society today. Next year we will be commemorating 150 years since the abolition of Dutch slavery, and yet the 1st of July (also known as Keti Koti) is still not recognised as a national public holiday and a day of commemoration in the Netherlands. As an organisation, we would like to contribute to making this happen.

Every year, public calls to make Keti Koti a national holiday become louder and louder. On the 24th of June 2021, Nederland Wordt Beter, NPO FunX and The Black Archives launched a petition “1st of July must become a national holiday and a a day of commemoration”. Over 62.000 people signed the petition within its first week. As we wait for the petition to be processed, more and more Dutch companies and organisations are taking the step in the right direction and giving their employees a day off on the 1st of July.

We want to take action ourselves rather than wait for political parties to take action. As an organisation, we find it important to set the right example and take a moment to reflect on our shared past. Therefore, UXUS is making the 1st of July a day off for the entire company until Keti Koti is recognised as a national public holiday in the Netherlands. Please join us.

Please visit and support: https://www.degoedezaak.org/formulier-ik-geef-mijn-werknemers-vrij-op-1-juli/