This came days after the workers along with union officials (Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union) lashed out at management in the media for the layoffs calling it an all-out witchhunt.
This wasn’t the only publicity this issue saw. The workers plight was also brought before Parliament by the member for High Rock Kenneth Russell, who mentioned it in his address to the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
It was then that Prime Minister Perry Christie explained that he had been advised by persons employed on the property that it was necessary because of the low occupancies heading into the summer as well as the pending hurricane season.
He added that the company has resorted to sending some of its supervisory employees to some of its other properties in North America for a few months to ensure that they remain on staff.
However, in a release from Our Lucaya, management cited needs to improve operational efficiencies within the Stewarding Department of the resort as grounds for making the jobs of those 14 workers redundant.
The release revealed that before communicating that decision to the workers affected, the Resort duly notified the General Secretary of The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union in accordance with the terms of its Industrial Agreement with the union.
However, BHCAWU Second Vice-president Lionel Morely told The Freeport News that though the General Secretary Leo Douglas was informed of that pending action, the Freeport office was never notified. Hence, he said no action or response was taken by the Freeport office.
Resort management attested that each of the associates affected by the redundancy situation has been compensated in accordance with the law and the terms of its Industrial Agreement.
By ANGELO ARMBRISTER, Freeport News Reporter
