The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Employers and unionists yesterday both hailed the Government’s move to extend the furlough period by an extra 90 days amid concerns Atlantis may be readying for further lay-offs.

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) president, told Tribune Business that the Paradise Island mega resort “was going to do something” based on a letter the union has received.

“I understand they’re going to do something. They sent us a communication,” he said, adding that the union had replied and was waiting for Atlantis to respond. Mr Woods declined to comment further, while an Atlantis spokesperson, when contacted by this newspaper, said: “We have no comment at this time.”

It is thus unclear whether any terminations will occur, and their timing, but well-placed sources - speaking on condition of anonymity - suggested the numbers involved, while in the low hundreds, would be less than the 700 released earlier this year if redundancies did happen.

Others added that the timing would be odd, given that Atlantis and the wider Bahamian tourism industry are fast approaching the Thanksgiving holiday that traditionally marks the start of the peak winter tourism season.

Bookings and occupancies at some resorts are said to be ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, while Atlantis itself is hosting not just one but two college basketball tournaments that traditionally boost Thanksgiving occupancies.

Meanwhile, employers and trade unionists appeared united for once on the Government’s decision to extend by an extra 90 days the deadline by which companies must recall furloughed employees or terminate them and pay due severance.

It had been thought firms would have to take such decisions by December 12, as provided for in the COVID emergency orders, which set the furlough deadline some 30 days after they expired on November 13, 2021.

However, the Davis administration has decided to set the clock running from December 12, meaning that under the Employment Act’s furlough provisions companies have a further 90 days to March 12, 2022, to decide whether to furlough or terminate.

The hope here is that the 90-day extension will provide sufficient breathing room for companies and the wider Bahamian economy to recover such that most furloughed workers are recalled, and terminations kept to a minimum, especially since the hotel and tourism sectors will then be in there peak 2022 season.

Peter Goudie, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) labour director, told this newspaper of the move: “Wow. Isn’t that interesting. All I can say is that it’s good news.

“We have done a bit of a survey [at the Chamber], and understand the majority of employers have about all their people back. There are bound to be pockets we don’t know about, but to me it’s good news. It gives everybody more time to get more people back to work, and not make people redundant. We’ve been against that from day one.”

Bernard Evans, the National Congress of the Trade Unions of The Bahamas (NCTUB) president, told Tribune Business that he had discussed the 90-day extension proposal recently with Robert Farquharson, director of labour.

Acknowledging that employees “cannot be left in limbo” by being kept in furlough indefinitely, he added: “COVID-19 has presented new problems, new issues and definitely highlighted some loopholes that need to be addressed.”

However, with the economy starting to re-open more rapidly, Mr Evans said it was vital that employers be given more time to decide whether to recall furloughed staff. “We’re hopeful,” he added, “that the economy is kind of turning around in a favourable way, which allows for an environment that enables employees to come back to work as opposed to being asked to leave or made redundant.”

Obie Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, said he planned to meet with the umbrella union’s affiliates to discuss the matter today. But Mr Woods added that, once December 13 was reached, there was nothing to stop employees who have been on furlough since COVID-19 struck in March 2020 from demanding their due severance from employers.

The BHCAWU chief said that between 45 percent to 55 percent of the union’s members remain on furlough.

The 90-day extension was announced by Clint Watson, the Prime Minister’s press secretary, who said: “Under the previous administration, what was given was a 30-day window after the emergency orders would have expired for companies to make a decision and determination as to what they were going to do. Now, that 30 days would take us to December 12.

“The law also provide a 90-day window, which takes us to March 12. What has to happen within that window by March 12, companies either have to disengage the persons or call them back to work. That is the law and that is the parameters that we are now working in for companies to make a decision.

“So they have until, by the latest, March 12 to either disengage those furloughed workers or return them back to work and the government is standing behind the law.” Mr Watson said the issue had been discussed with employers.

He added: “We’ve had that discussion and we’ve reminded employers that they have to make a decision. They are aware of that.

“We do know that some people were brought back, and we do know that some people were disengaged, but we have made it clear to employers that you have to make a decision. So we’re hoping that they don’t wait until March 12 that before they decide what they’re going to do.”