Hotel workers still have not received severance

It’s beginning to feel like deja vu for former employees of the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa and some of their colleagues from the Hilton Barbados Resort and Spa as they wrestle once again with their former bosses for outstanding severance pay.

A group of over two dozen hospitality workers lined the entrance of the Hilton’s Needham’s Point property demanding assistance from Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan and Tourism Minister Senator Lisa Cummins.

Over 100 ex-Accra workers who were laid off at the start of the pandemic more than a year ago, are yet to receive between 25-30 per cent of outstanding severance along with payment in lieu of notice.

In the case of the Hilton, it appears that most of the almost 90 severed workers have already been paid, but a handful of others say they have heard nothing from their former employers or the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) since December last year.

Deputy Chair of the NIS, Professor Avinash Persaud told Barbados TODAY the scheme is “closely” monitoring developments at both properties but made it clear that in both cases, the onus is on management to fulfill its obligations.

“The number one priority in these difficult times for all of us is that workers get paid their severance in full and that is what is keeping us awake at night,” Professor Persaud acknowledged.

“As you know, firms are required to pay the total severance they owe workers, and where firms have contributed in full to the severance fund at the NIS, they then get back 25 per cent.

“We understand that hotels are cash-strapped at the moment and we are open to new ways to facilitate the workers getting paid the total amount as fast as possible while ensuring firms meet their net obligations. Where facilitation is not possible, we have recently expanded the tribunals that have taken far too long to settle disputes in the past,” the NIS Deputy Chair added.

But as funds dwindle and bills mount, patience is growing thin among the ranks of the former workers who feel slighted by an industry to which they have dedicated their lives. Many believe their former employees will only respond to warnings from the Government and are therefore disappointed with what they believe is a deafening silence from officials in Labour and Tourism.

Late last year, after relentless protests, Senator Lisa Cummins brokered the deal that saw more than 100 severed Accra Workers receive over 70 per cent of their monies with a promise that the remainder would be paid by the 31st of March. But the Accra workers are accusing management of reneging on that promise.

Antoinette Brewster who worked at Accra over the last seven years is therefore pleading with Prime Minister Mia Mottley to apply her ‘not bout here’ stance to their “dire” situation.

“Everybody is keeping quiet. Everybody is ignoring us, which is wrong. Very wrong. So we just have to fight for our rights and I am entitled to fight for my rights, because they have something that is mine,” declared Brewster.

“We have simply come out here to protest what is ours. We shouldn’t be out here protesting, because they should have known in their hearts that we were faithful in working for them and should have done the same thing for us… The Government should have demanded that they pay us what is ours,” she further contended.

Janice Harewood, who worked for 15 years as a reservation agent added: “The lack of respect is what I notice in the hotel industry and the Government needs to look into that. Stop looking at occupancy levels. What about the employees?

“They are the ones who make the beds, they are the ones who clean the rooms, look after the guests and feed the guests… so when it comes to your employees, give us what is due to us.

“It is your main industry. Without us, nobody comes to Barbados whether you are a four-star property or a luxury property. If your staff is way below standard, then you have nothing.

“To the Minister of Labour, you are silent. Investigate hoteliers. There is a lot going on and we have stood by for years and said nothing,” she declared.

Out of the negotiations that stemmed from days of protests was also a promise to pay Hilton’s workers in full.

Rodney Hinds, a longtime chef at the property says up to this point, he has only received payment in lieu of notice.

“From March last year until November, I didn’t hear anything at all from the Hilton and since the date passed for the payment I have not heard anything from the Hilton, from NIS or anyone,” Hinds told Barbados TODAY.

“I called and at first they told me that all of the cheques were in the mail. I waited and I never saw mine come, so I didn’t know if mine had gotten lost. So I called back again and they told me that the NIS was having financial problems and was running out of money to pay. So I don’t know which story is correct.

“When they were looking to raise the minimum wage, the minister [of Labour] said that if a company cannot pay minimum wage, it should rethink and redo its business model. I want to ask the minister ‘how can a company like the Hilton International, which was in operation for 100 years with 1,000 hotels worldwide cannot pay severance and not a word from the minister on that matter?” he asked.

Barbados TODAY efforts to get a comment from either of the properties have been unsuccessful.
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)