As Sandals lays off hundreds, BHTA says no need for alarm

s more than 200 workers at Sandals Resort in Dover, Christ Church, have been made redundant, the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) on Monday moved to allay fears about job security in tourism, describing the layoffs as part of a typical seasonal pattern.

Javon Griffith, the newly appointed BHTA chairman, told Barbados TODAY that the redundancies reflect the annual downturn in business faced by the wider industry.

“That is pretty standard across the industry at this time of year,” Griffith explained. “Of course, for a property like that, it would seem like a lot, because they have two hotels side by side.”

The news of the layoffs was first revealed on Friday by Toni Moore, general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), to reporters outside Parliament. While Moore did not name the property, she emphasised the need for job security to align with the provisions of the collective agreement between the BWU and the BHTA.

Her comments were made ahead of a ministerial statement delivered in the Lower Chamber by Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector Colin Jordan that outlined the minimum rates of pay and conditions of work for employees in the tourism and accomodation sectors.

Moore said, “What we have to continue to focus on, and what is our mission in the BWU, doesn’t stop here with this legislation or the establishment of standards, but we are fighting daily and calling on the workers in the industry to really come out and rally around the issues that impact them.”

The BWU head also accused the hotel of undermining unionisation efforts, claiming that the company had directly consulted workers about the termination of their contracts without union involvement. But Griffith countered that the hotel’s general manager, Surinder Kahlon, had indicated the layoffs were unrelated to the BWU.

“I did speak to him [Sandals’ general manager],” Griffith said. “He did indicate that the layoffs were under discussion with the Ministry of Labour for the last three weeks . . . it was nothing that was done in a haphazard manner; they are seasonal layoffs because things are about to go quiet, and it is nothing union-related as others would try to make you believe.”

The BHTA chairman noted that many hotels typically scale back operations after Crop Over, often closing for renovations during September when there is a significant decrease in business. He added that workers are usually laid off if the closure period exceeds their holiday entitlement.

Griffith was unable to confirm whether Sandals would rehire the redundant workers once the industry picks up for the winter season.

“There is a slowdown of business and there are some internal rationalisations going on, but I cannot speak as to if or when persons would be rehired,” he said.

Moore expressed concern that the hotel might hold a job fair in the coming months to replace the redundant workers with new hires, a practice she argues contradicts long-established agreements in the sector.

Surinder Lucky Kahlon, general manager of Sandals Barbados Resort and Spa and Sandals Royals Barbados, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb