PLP leader Philip 'Brave' Davis.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has attacked Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis for the “heartless and mean-spirited” way in which redundancies are being happening at the Grand Lucayan hotel.
He called on the Minnis administration to say what relief laid-off workers will receive.
Tribune Business reported last week that the process of permanently laying-off workers at the resort has began as the property’s sale to the ITM Group/Royal Caribbean joint venture nears completion.
The layoffs will be phased-in over several weeks.
“It has come to my attention that the government has made a unilateral decision to release the staff at the Grand Lucayan Hotel in Grand Bahama,” Mr Davis said in a statement. “I remind the prime minister that he went to great lengths to convince the country that one of his primary reasons for his government’s purchase of this hotel was to protect those hotel jobs there. His claim has not materialised.
“I am empathetic to the plight of those displaced workers and others in the industry, but I am very disappointed with the heartless and mean-spirited manner in which the prime minister is conducting this redundancy exercise. Just (last) week, both chambers of the House concluded exhaustive and lively debate on the upcoming fiscal budget and as critical as Grand Bahama is, at no time was this labour issue ever raised.
“I am further advised that both the tourism minister, responsible for the hotel at Cabinet level and the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association executives were also not engaged and left in the dark about discussions that led to these layoffs. This is regrettable. The Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association executives are not unreasonable, unyielding and inflexible people, but they need and expect a partner in the government who is firstly respectful of them and who consults with and listens to stakeholders with a view to reaching a consensus in the best interest of all concerned. I concur with their basic expectations.
“The unions are not asking the prime minister to work miracles, but at the very least, they expect him to act in good faith and with deference. As the government still has vacant possession of this property, the prime minister must say how the government intends to avoid further assist deterioration until the sale is concluded and what relief is being offered to the displaced hotel workers,” Mr Davis said.
Comments
moncurcool 4 years, 5 months ago
He called on the Minnis administration to say what relief laid-off workers will receive.
Seriously Davis? Have you ever heard of the Employment Act?
If you selling a hotel, you are suppose to pay out the people and then the new entity has the right to hire them. Stop trying to make a non issue a political matter to try score brownie points.
Topdude 4 years, 5 months ago
Mr. Davis is seeking to make political hay during moonlight. Or is it while he is imbibing moonshine? When the sale of the hotel is concluded he will have something else to flay the Government over.
Please, Sir, just shut up. Please leave our Prime Minister alone and stop looking at a gift horse in the mouth.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 5 months ago
Truth the Our Lucaya deal is another FNM deal. when they purchased the hotel. the former owners should have paid their employees separation packages. bottom line.
I doubt that Sale is close to being completed. They are continuing to spend money The Hotel must be EMPTY. so what is the staff doing?
Just speak the TRUTH they do not have the money to keep on paying money on a bad deal.
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 5 months ago
They should have waited for the closing to complete. I have no doubt RCCL is telling our government they're still interested and good to go. Only a fool would believe that right now....
TigerB 4 years, 5 months ago
The union 2nd area VP pumped them up to come to work yesterday. They storm pass security, some almost 40 from what I counted and met inside a room. The union 2nd area vice president told them that even if the police come they were not moving. The police came and they had to move or be cited trespassing. They moved. It was sickening to me for a leader to tell someone to come to work knowing they still wouldn't be paid. Today they didn't show. The hotel is dead... not one guest, only security. Their rationale was that it was a government hotel and all of the government workers are working. It is alleged that the VP would be running for the PLP in the months ahead. No government or private entity would work people if there is no means to pay them. Perhaps Brave didn't know these facts. He said nothing about Atlantis laying off. They not making any money.
tribanon 4 years, 5 months ago
Bahamians had better start realizing now that their choice for a PM in the next national general elections is not a binary one, i.e. it's not either Minnis or Davis. The constituents in the respective constituencies that these two idiots are nominated or otherwise allowed to run in would be crazy to cast their vote for either of them. They both need to be banished by the voters from ever running for elected office again.
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