The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union Secretary General Darren Woods yesterday said the union would not passively accept a Paradise Island resort’s “wish list” to lay off ten employees this summer.

Speaking about potential redundancies at the One & Only Ocean Club resort, Mr Woods told The Tribune that the union “won’t just be the welcome mat at the front door where you dust your foot and then go inside”.

Last week, resort officials confirmed that ten employees at the resort would have their jobs made redundant due to renovation plans.

However, Mr Woods said both parties need to meet and have a “complete discussion” on the matter before either side could conclusively say that ten employees would be adversely affected, something he said has not yet happened.

Mr Woods told The Tribune yesterday that the union has met with resort officials to lock down a date for both sides to discuss the matter.

“We’re just waiting on them to get back to us with a date or time,” he said, adding, “There are a lot of things that goes into redundancies. You don’t just identify, because we need to sit, find out exactly who, what, when, how, and why. So it’s not just because that area is affected. You may have some people who are interested in going if we have to end up taking that route. You have persons who may be close to retirement and want to go.

“So you can’t just say those persons are going to be affected and that’s it. We also have to look at the head count for areas you can put persons in.

“We have to have a complete discussion which we have not had.”

On Friday, Ocean Club’s General Manager John Conway told The Tribune that the resort is planning a “significant renovation” of its facilities in June, which would result in the laying off of ten employees. He said those affected would be “eligible for rehire should suitable positions become available.”

Mr Conway said the resort anticipates renovation work to begin on the historic Hartford Wing in “early June” and that the Courtyard Terrace restaurant will close.

However, he said the resort was still “finalising plans” and meeting with both “key government officials” and the BHCAWU on the matter.

When contacted last week, Mr Woods said the union was not particularly surprised by the announcement, but claimed that based on a previous conversation the union allegedly held with the resort’s owner, Access Industries, the impending layoffs – and talks thereof – should not be an item on the resort’s agenda.

He said the union met with resort officials early last week with a goal of determining how many employees may be affected, when the layoffs would take place, and how those individuals may be affected as a result.

However, he said, the meeting came to an abrupt end, with both sides agreeing to adjourn until a later date.