Former Labour Director John Pinder.
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Labour Director John Pinder blamed the government for not convincing Sandals Emerald Bay to keep part of the Exuma resort open while it closes for redevelopment.
“The government ought to have put measures in place or negotiated with Sandals on how best to keep some of the establishment open,” he said.
He expressed concern that some staff might be terminated during the resort’s rebranding process, given Sandals’ history.
On August 15, Sandals Emerald Bay will temporarily close to undergo a $100m transformation into Beaches Exuma. The resort, known for being all-inclusive, will be rebranded as a family-friendly beach destination.
Jeremy Mutton, Sandals Emerald Bay’s general manager, told Tribune Business that the 12 to 15-month rebranding process will begin once all required permits are obtained this fall.
Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper initially provided a six to eight-month timeline for the project’s construction phase.
The closure affects approximately 425 workers at the resort.
Last month, Mr Cooper said that dozens of employees would be retained during the temporary closure to secure and manage the facility. He also mentioned that efforts would be made to redeploy as many workers as possible to other Sandals properties.
He added that current employees would be given top consideration for employment at Beaches Exuma. A job fair was held on August 9.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 3 months, 1 week ago
I hope Pinder isnt trying to get a nomination. In fact the govt should reject anyone from the previous slate who was less than impressive. Name recognition and sitting in Parliament for 5 years should not be eligibility criteria.
The first set of criteria should be character, ethics and honesty. Too many people look to an MP posting as a path to riches or at minimum a nice salary.
Then we need intelligence and good comprehension skills. Because the job is about reading and critically analyzing *documents? Not, handing out back to school bags and putting up happy valentine's billboards. When did that become something a minister has to do???
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