The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The hotel union yesterday confirmed it had filed a trade dispute on behalf of Club Land’Or employees against the embattled Paradise Island property, which is said be to in “serious financial straits”.

Darren Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) secretary-general, told Tribune Business: “We did that today. It’s been filed. The director told me he would deal with that when he gets back in the country in a few days.”

Labour director, Robert Farquharson, told Tribune Business back in December that he had secured a “gentleman’s agreement” from Club Land’Or to pay outstanding sums owed to its employees.

However, the deal is not legally binding in the absence of a trade dispute being filed.

The small Paradise Island resort has between 40 to 60 staff members, with both managers and staff claiming they are owed 22 weeks’ pay.

During the two years that Club Land’Or was being actively marketed for sale, its price dropped from $43 million to $38 million. It has long been regarded as a troubled property, and in 2012 managed to head-off a Supreme Court application by creditors to place it into receivership.

Mr Woods told Tribune Business yesterday that the union was still working to secure some financial assistance for the employees.

“We still working on that. We are just waiting on a response favourable on their behalf. We have done what we have to do,” he said.