The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A union president yesterday warned that the 90-day extension to the COVID furlough period is “adding to the frustration” of long-suffering workers who want “finality” for their plight.

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) chief, told Tribune Business that employers should make due severance payments now to still-furloughed staff who request them and want to move on.

He added that the union was working with hotel employers in a bid to ensure that any planned terminations involved workers who wanted to leave so that all those wishing to return to work can do so.

“We’re trying to see if they can get persons who are out and want to go. That way it means everybody will be happy,” Mr Woods told this newspaper, while voicing reservations over the Davis administration’s decision to extend the furlough period for another 90 days into the 2022 first quarter.

“For us it’s a concern as it pretty much extends the furlough period for those persons who have already been home for 21-22 months,” he added. “Some employees will say they do not want to wait another three months, and want to go.”

Suggesting that employers should pay due severance to those persons “if they are able to”, Mr Woods said of the 90-day extension: “It’s just adding to the frustration of the people. It’s adding to the frustration. People want finality one way or another.”

Tribune Business pointed out earlier this week that confusion exists over the deadline for when employers must decide whether to recall COVID-furloughed workers.

Robert Farquharson, the Ministry of Labour’s director of labour, confirmed that “a move is afoot to synchronise” the contradictory same-day announcements made last week by Senator Ryan Pinder, the attorney general, and the Prime Minister’s press secretary.

Clint Watson, giving the weekly press briefing by the Prime Minister’s Office, said the clock would start running from December 12, 2021, on the Government’s decision to extend the furlough period by an extra 90 days.

Selecting that date, which was the original furlough expiration data under the Minnis administration’s COVID emergency powers, would extend the deadline for employers to decide whether to recall staff or terminate them to March 12, 2022. The emergency powers, which ended on November 12, 2021, included an extra 30 days before the furlough period ended, taking it to December 12.

Mr Watson said last week Wednesday: “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.”

However, this was seemingly contradicted by Mr Pinder in a media interview given the very same day. As the Government’s chief legal adviser, he said the clock on the 90-day furlough extension started running from November 12 - when the emergency powers ended - and not December 12 as suggested by Mr Watson.

As a result, the furlough extension would end one month earlier on February 12, 2022, based on Mr Pinder’s position. “Our advice is that the 12-week clock started November 13,” the attorney general said of the furlough extension. “Others are of the opinion that the 30-day extension that was in the emergency orders gives 30 days, plus 12 weeks.”

This indicates that there are differences within the Davis administration on the issue, and the two pronouncements fail to give both employers and furloughed employees the certainty and clarity that they cherish.

Mr Woods, meanwhile, described the COVID-19 pandemic and its worldwide impact as one for “the history books” with some furloughed workers potentially waiting for two years since its March 2020 start to either be recalled or terminated.

He added that the hotel union was still uncertain how many of its members have been recalled to work over the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year period, having previously estimated that between 45-55 percent were still on furlough.

Nor does it know how many members are willing to accept severance packages and move on. “We’re still trying to find out,” he said. “We sent the information out and are waiting for them to get back to us on where they wanted to go.

“We have some persons who gave us their names. We don’t have the total number as yet. Based on what they’re saying, it maybe in the hundreds, but I’m not sure. People say one thing, and when it comes time do something different.” 

Mr Woods said the net number of union members recalled to work will be revealed “in the next pay cycle”, when those taken off furlough will have union dues paid on their behalf. Equally, others could be removed after being made redundant.

While the recall of hotel and tourism workers is “a step in the right direction”, he added: “We have to wait and see how many persons actually got recalled. I’m hoping once they go back work will be continuous all the way through. Based on what they are saying in tourism and the airport itself, it sounds as if things are picking up a bit so we’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”

Mr Woods said the prolonged furlough endured by many hotel workers was likely to inflict a deep financial and mental toll. “It’s been a tremendous impact not being able to provide for their families and pretty much living off assistance for the past 21 months,” he added.

“You can only imagine the financial impact on them. If they have bank payments to make those have not gone away. Some institutions are offering loan deferrals or interest only payments, but that still affects them negatively as they extend the payment time and they will need a large cash payment to put on bills.

“It’s a tremendous impact on them financially and, dare I say, mentally. You can’t provide and people are pressuring them for payment. It’s a serious thing. It has a psychological effect. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people need counselling at the end of the day.”