Another group of fired workers to protest

by Kareem Smith

Severed workers at another popular hotel are expected to protest the treatment from their former employer and the deafening silence from management about outstanding entitlements, including severance and vacation pay.

The over three-hour demonstration that has reportedly been authorised by the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) will take place on Thursday in front of the well-known South Coast hotel.

Sources close to the situation say permission has been granted for approximately 100 people to take part in the action from 9:30 a.m. to  1 p.m. The protest has not been officially sanctioned by the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) which represents some of the almost 300 employees.

“We just decided that we need to step out, step, and let our voices be heard,” a spokesperson told Barbados TODAY on Monday.

The hotel isn’t saying anything to us. The only thing they are saying to us when they send a letter is to bring back their uniforms, clear your lockers, and if you don’t clear your lockers, they will clear it and throw away anything that they find . . . So we are going to protest,” the source explained.

When the hotel closed its doors in late March, workers say they were initially informed that the establishment did not intend to reopen and they, therefore, started the process of claiming their severance.

Since then, the employer appears to have had a change of heart and now has refused to rehire those who started to claim severance, instead opting to bring back workers who were hired within the last year or so.

“They decided to start calling people to say that they are looking to reopen in a couple of days and asked whether you have filed for severance. If you say ‘yes’, they put down the phone because they are saying that they don’t want to take back anybody who has already filed for severance.

According to sources close to the situation, workers are growing tired of waiting for the Labour Department’s assistance in their efforts to reach a resolution.

The planned protest is another episode in a series of industrial relations issues in the hospitality sector since the COVID-19 pandemic affected tourism and travel.

Just days ago, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Chairman Rudy Grant, and Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) General Secretary Toni Moore condemned the actions of unscrupulous hoteliers who attempted to evade their responsibilities to former employees.

They were responding to similar issues raised about The Club Barbados Resort and Spa, which initially reneged on a promise to pay ex-staffers all their severance but has since informed the frustrated workers that it has secured the necessary financing and will pay them.