BHTA, BWU to meet on worker’s concerns

Officials of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) are to meet with representatives from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) next Tuesday to thrash out several issues said to be affecting
hotel workers.

That meeting, one in a series that started in June, comes on the heels of growing concerns by hotel employees that they have been subjected to injustices and broken promises.

Just yesterday, about 60 former workers of the Club Barbados Resort demonstrated for several hours outside the St James establishment, demanding severance payments after promises to pay were rescinded.

The hotel had agreed to make the payments in two tranches of 50 per cent each in October and November. However, staff received letters last week informing them that the company would only pay 25 per cent of the outstanding monies and the rest would be paid by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Barbados TODAY has also received reports that one popular Christ Church hotel has laid off several of its staff members who are
not in line to receive any benefits.

There have also been recent reports of injustices affecting employees at an upscale west coast property, with union representatives calling on authorities to come to the workers’ aid.

However, Chief Executive Officer of the BHTA, Senator Rudy Grant has given the assurance that the association is willing to identify the problems and bring all parties together to reach amicable solutions.

Although saying that now is an extremely challenging time for hoteliers, especially given the high level of uncertainty in the COVID-19 environment, Grant said the BHTA recognised the importance of the workers.

“We also want to ensure that workers feel comfortable and that they are satisfied,” he assured.

“I believe on the side of the employer and the workers there is a commitment and desire for us to move forward together, and where there are misunderstandings to deal with those. The BHTA has constantly held the position that we are going to ensure there is the highest standard of work engagement and ethical work behaviour and we do not in any way support any practices that . . . demean workers or inflict hardship on workers.”

The BWU has already hinted at possible strike action should the issues affecting hotel workers not be speedily addressed.

In addition to severance payments, there are concerns about mistreatment at some properties relating to layoffs and other decisions by hoteliers.

Grant said in addition to the issues at the Club Barbados Resort, the BHTA would be discussing issues identified at other tourism enterprises and seek to come up with a resolution.

“We are in a period when there are significant challenges and we have to ensure we are properly able to deal with all the critical issues, and those issues that impact businesses and workers are matters that we have to address and address in a very serious and immediate way,” he said.

He pledged that the BHTA would continue to “collaborate” with the unions representing hotel workers to ensure “everyone is comfortable as they speak definitively to the issues”.

The BHTA CEO insisted that dialogue must play a critical role in addressing matters affecting the industry and its workers.

“It is important to have all of the critical issues put on the table. It is important that those matters have all the parties present and that we can discuss and find resolution to those issues,” he stressed.

Opting not to speak on the matter of severance, Grant said as far as he was aware, severance payments should be settled as outlined by law.

In any event, he said the BHTA was encouraging its members to re-engage workers by taking advantage of the Barbados Employment and Sustainable Transformation (BEST) programme.

This is expected to be one of the topics on the agenda at next week’s meeting.

Grant said since workers started expressing concerns several months ago, the BWU had written to the BHTA outlining those issues
and the association has since met with the identified members.

“We are satisfied that in most instances, the members would have been operating in good faith. I do think at times there seems to be a communication challenge.

“Therefore, the BHTA is committed to bringing the parties together and to ensure that the very highest standard of work ethics is recognised. This is an environment that is now very emotional and we do have to have constant dialogue with the workers and workers’ representatives,” he said.

Chairman of the BHTA Geoffrey Roach said there have been about four meetings between the BHTA and the BWU since the decision was taken in June this year to have regular consultations.

“Having open dialogue is critical to this process, especially at this time. We anticipated that there would be issues that would arise, just because of the nature of what we are going through. To appropriately address these would require regular consultation,” he said.

Roach confirmed that the BHTA had received complaints from hotel workers of mistreatment, adding that the association
would do its investigations and speak with the resorts identified.

He pointed out that the BHTA has had meetings with several member hotels “to get a feel from them as to what has taken place, and match that against the claims that have been made”.

“And, in some cases, it might be a case of misinterpretation of what is intended. When those things arise, what we do is to guide our members in the proper procedures,” Roach explained.

The BHTA officials were not in a position to say exactly how many hotels have paid severance or how many have reopened to date.

(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)