BWU boss urges tourism leaders to put workers first amid layoffs

Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) General Secretary Toni Moore has called for greater responsibility and compassion from tourism industry leaders, urging them to prioritise workers facing redundancy and to honour the spirit of partnership that has long driven the sector’s success.

In the wake of layoffs at Sandals and Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle Resort, Moore told journalists on Wednesday of her frustration over the absence of collective bargaining agreements, which she said has hampered the union’s ability to effectively intervene in these matters.

“The unfortunate thing is that in those two situations, there was not a collective agreement, so the involvement of the Barbados Workers’ Union… has had to be a bit tamed,” she explained. “When we have a collective voice and a collective presence, there’s a lot more influence that we can exercise.”

Moore reported that negotiations are underway with the Wyndham resort about a streamlining exercise that could see up to 150 workers dismissed. “We are happy that the situation has somewhat slowed so that reason seems to be prevailing. I compliment the BTII [Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.] for their investigations into the matter… The situation there doesn’t seem to be progressing as badly as presumably may have been contemplated or that we had heard about, and we’re pleased about that,” she said, adding that the union also continues to assist individual Sandals workers.

Moore knocked the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) for not taking proactive measures to prevent such situations. She challenged the association to act sooner to avoid public crises.

“Don’t wait until things get to this point in a very public way for us to be stepping in and doing things,” Moore urged.

With 2024 being a strong year for tourism, the BWU general secretary reminded companies of their duty to share the benefits with those who help drive the industry.

“This year has been a good year so far, and part of the duty of individuals of different groups… institutions… companies, is to make sure that all of us can carry the burden to the greatest extent possible,” she said. “In good times I find that lesson is one that is forgotten by too many.”

Moore added: “In times like COVID when everybody is under pressure, everybody wants to be their brother’s keeper. When situations like that are not overshadowing anymore, people tend to forget, and my comment to BHTA and [Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.] and related bodies in tourism is that to whom much is given, much is required.”

The union leader also acknowledged the slow pace of negotiations in the industry, revealing that despite ongoing talks, progress had been minimal.

“As recently as this Monday we had discussions… and there has been little to no movement,” she said.

The BWU boss reiterated the importance of maintaining the spirit of partnership within the tourism industry. “Let us just recommit to doing to others as we would wish to have done to us,” she said. (SM)