Tourism minister blasts those pushing political agenda during current industrial unrest

Minister of Tourism Lisa Cummins is pleading with hoteliers and other tourism industry operators to communicate with their laid off staff members.

At the same time, Cummins is blaming some of the ongoing tension between workers who were made redundant and tourism industry employers on some people with a  political agenda.

Addressing the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) fourth quarterly general meeting on Wednesday, Cummins said she was aware there were many workers who have been laid off since March who have reached out to their place of employment but have not been able to get a response.

“I know there are some persons who are on the streets today who are legitimately distraught and dealing with issues and challenges that I don’t think any of us want to deal with,” she said in an apparent reference to ongoing industrial unrest in the sector.

“Some people are in basic survival mode and we have to demonstrate leadership in the tourism sector that we care about,” she added.

Over the past several weeks there has been increasing tension in the labour relations environment, especially in the tourism sector, with former hotel workers demanding that they be paid severance after not being able to work since March when the COVID-19 pandemic started to affect the island.

However, the tourism minister said there were others who were just “stirring up” a lot of the contention on the streets and in some instances, on radio.

“This is not the moment for political strife. This is not the moment to take advantage of people’s pain and their suffering and their struggles. This is not that moment.

“We know there are some people who are protesting who have never approached their properties. We know that there are some people who are calling [the radio programmes] every day who have never gone to a labour office, who have never come to any members of the BHTA, who have never come to the ministry of tourism, they have never gone to any of the agencies that allow for dispute settlement, but they are being stirred up for a different moment. This is not who we are,” she insisted.

Insisting that “people must matter”, Cummins commended many of the BHTA members for communicating with workers on a weekly or monthly basis as they await a restart to their jobs.

Calling on employers who have not yet reached out or who have stopped communicating with their workers, Cummins said: “There are many of us who cannot be too far removed from the people who have worked with us day in and day out, year in and year out, that we cannot connect with them at a real level.

“There are people who have not worked in this country since March and I want to urge you at a minimum, speak with them. We are all making adjustments,” she said.

“Talk to them about what you are dealing with. If it is that your occupancy rates, as I know in some instances, have fallen to single digits, talk to your workers about that and what the implications are,” pleaded Cummins.

She insisted that the current unease in the labour relations climate should not be taking place simply because of little or no communication between former employers and employees.

Pointing out that there were workable dispute resolution mechanisms in place, she reported that the BHTA has been meeting with her ministry on a regular basis to discuss the challenges and come up with solutions.

“We are in the field every day but there are some persons out there who seem to believe that in this moment they can take advantage of people’s suffering to advance a political agenda. That is not in the interest of our country and that is not who we are,” she insisted.

“I want to say to people this is not the time also to allow your suffering to be used by others. So I am making a call for everybody – hoteliers, members of the BHTA – do the right thing for the right reasons and in the right way. Put people first. To workers, come to us, we are here. We are not going to leave you by the roadside,” said Cummins.

Chairman of the BHTA Geoffrey Roach pointed out that several members were stepping up to the plate to take care of their employees even as they continued to be laid off.

However, referring to the ongoing tensions at some hotel properties, he said “We would prefer not to see any more casualties of this nature and we want to urge all of our members who find themselves in a tough position at any point going forward, to have those necessary discussions and conversations with your staff and come and speak with the BHTA . . . and access the solutions wherever possible.”

Chief Executive Officer of the BHTA Senator Rudy Grant also called for level heads to prevail and for dialogue to continue. He stated, “This is a time of great uncertainty and every effort must be made for there to be sincere and honest dialogue between workers and employers.

“We continue to encourage our members to engage in the highest standards of labour relation practices to ensure an enduring and harmonious relationship between labour and capital,” said Grant.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)