The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The hotel union’s president says it has “long wanted” the Employment Act to include gratuities in its definition of wages, given that the former was a substantial proportion of the take home pay for many employees.

The position taken by Nicole Martin and the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) thus conflicts directly with that taken by industry employees.

Tribune Business revealed on Friday how the hotel sector has expressed concern that proposals to include gratuities in the Employment Act’s definition of wages will have an “astronomical” impact on its cost base, and could drive some properties “out of business”.

The issue is set to be discussed at an upcoming National Tripartite Council meeting this week, following which recommendations will be made to the Government.

    Ms Martin said that while the issue has been talked about, she was unaware of any move on the matter.

“While there has been some discussion, I am not away of any move on it,” she said. “I’m not even apprised as to whether anything was formally submitted to the Council.

“I know that we were in talks with the Government to have some amendments to the Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act. It is something that we have talked about, and the truth of the matter is we have been in discussions with the Government, trying to get something done, but I don’t really know where that is.”

 Ms Martin said the BHCAWU, which represents the largest number of hotel employees, has been agitating for such a move.

“That is how we got gratuities for the purpose of benefits for NIB done. We have long wanted the gratuity to be treated the same way. Our people make their living by gratuities mostly, and those gratuities are not formalised in the sense of being treated as wages other than for NIB,” she added.