The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A former candidate for the hotel union’s presidency yesterday called for a government investigation as he blasted Atlantis for keeping himself and other full-time staff on furlough while re-engaging contract workers.

Dave Beckford, a 25-year employee in the Paradise Island mega resort’s landscaping department, told Tribune Business it was “unacceptable” that he should remain at home while outside contractors and their employees were engaged to perform that type of work.

Producing a photo purporting to show the contract employees at work, Mr Beckford slammed: “I have information contract workers are working. How can you have contract workers working and full-time workers like myself out there at home?

“I’m a 25-year employee, and I don’t think I should still be out of work and contractors working. I call on the minister of labour [Dion Foulkes] and director of labour [John Pinder]. They need to save Bahamian workers, and not contract workers, especially at this time. They’re not looking into what is happening at these properties.

“This situation was happening before COVID-19, but this is the time when we need to be working. This is not about expatriates and foreigners; this is about all of us as full-time workers. I’m at home and the contract workers are working. It makes me sick. It’s not acceptable, not acceptable. I need to work. I need to feed my family.”

Atlantis, in a statement responding to Mr Beckford’s attack, said last night that while the resort retains third-party contractors to perform certain services they do not undertake duties or fill roles that are covered by full-time staff. Tribune Business understands that Atlantis believes the contractor the former hotel union presidency candidate is referring to falls into this category.

“Atlantis retains vendors to support its operation including landscaping. Third party vendor work is mutually exclusive from that performed by our full- time staff,” the Paradise Island mega resort said.

“During the closure of the resort, a limited number of full-time employees from the landscaping department were retained to assist with the maintenance of the resort. In preparation for the resort’s reopening on July 7, additional employees from this department have been called back to work.”

Atlantis added that employees required for its phase one re-opening have already been notified and recalled for two weeks’ training on the COVID-19 health protocols. It added: “Atlantis will re-open in phases based on occupancy. Team members will be called back in correlation to the resort’s occupancy and operation level.

“Those team members being called back for phase one have already been notified by their department and, during that time, team members will receive thorough and comprehensive training including that of our new Atlantis Clean and Safe Promise, health, well-being and safety protocols.”

Mr Beckford, though, argued that it was “disrespect” not engage contract workers but not recall all full-time landscaping staff in time for the July 7 re-opening, branding the department an “essential service” that was critical to maintaining the resort’s upkeep for guests.

Atlantis, meanwhile, also defended its decision to end the bus transportation that it previously provided for workers travelling to the resort. It said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused all of us to make some very difficult business decisions over the past few months.

“In evaluating these decisions we made those that had the least impact on our team members wherever possible. Unfortunately, the discontinuation of the shuttle bus service, which benefited a small portion of our workforce, fell into this category.”