The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A HIGH-END Paradise Island resort is set to temporarily close for 30 days to permit upgrades to two restaurants, it was revealed yesterday.

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) president, confirmed to Tribune Business that the Ocean Club, a Four Seasons-branded property, will soon close to guests for around four weeks with the majority of staff asked to take their vacation entitlement during this period.The Ocean Club has yet to confirm the closure dates for when the work will be carried out or provide further details. This newspaper made numerous attempts to reach John Conway, the Ocean Club’s general manager, for comment but no reply was received before press time last night.

However, Mr Woods, whose union is the bargaining agent for the property’s line staff, said some employees will continue to work on-site during this temporary closure although no guests will be present.

“Some persons are still going to be working,” said Mr Woods. “They have a small crew of persons that will be working in areas like the cooks, some of the engineers and, of course, some of the housekeeping people.”

He explained that these workers will handle essential tasks such as clearing and breaking down rooms, and preparing them for reconfiguration. “Persons will have to stay behind to clear up and break down the rooms, and then some people will have to come back earlier in order to set the rooms back up and the area,” Mr Woods added.

“So, while they say four weeks, that means that no guests will be in that space for that period, but employees will still be working.” Mr Woods said the majority of employees will be taking vacation during this period, and his members will not “lose” anything as the temporary closure will align with their scheduled vacation period.

“Mainly persons who don’t have sufficient vacation, or don’t have any vacation time, those are the persons that would stay behind,” he explained. “The majority of people, particularly in the service area, they normally go on vacation during September because it’s slower. It’s not that much business, so they don’t really lose anything.”

Union representatives are believed to have met with Ocean Club management earlier this week to discuss the resort’s temporary closure plans, and what is involved, after its members among the staff got wind of its intentions.

Mr Woods, though, said the Ocean Club adopted a similar approach towards undertaking renovations last year with a temporary closure. He added that the BHCAWU will be monitoring the renovation process to ensure compliance with its recently-signed industrial agreement with the Bahamas Hotel and Restaurant Employers Association, of which the Ocean Club is a member.

“Of course we will be monitoring and making sure that everything is done in accordance with our newly-signed industrial agreement,” Mr Woods said.

Howard Thompson, the Government’s labour director, told Tribune Business that the Department of Labour had not yet been informed by the Ocean Club of its plans.