The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union president Darrin Woods says the union should be involved in negotiations over a proposed private island hotel development that has cleared the first stage of Afreximbank’s credit approval process, warning that workers’ rights are often left exposed when major tourism deals are negotiated without labour input.

Mr Woods said the union has no objection to the proposed development, but believes it should have a seat at the table when the Heads of Agreement is being negotiated.

“A lot of times we don't know what's in the heads of agreement, and then we see the operators come and seemingly doing as if whatever they seem to want to do and not paying attention to the laws that governs the country,” he told The Tribune.

“We have laws that govern how employers and unions are, and particularly laws that govern the whole aspect of employee relationship, but when it comes here, it seems as if these developers find loopholes or ways around dealing with the benefits that employees are used to and legally entitled to.”

Mr Woods said although employees at the proposed development may not yet be union members, they could become potential members once the project begins hiring.

His comments came after Afreximbank’s Caribbean Office chief operating officer Okechukwu Ihejirika said the proposed hotel development is expected to be located on a private island and is intended to boost tourism.

Mr Ihejirika declined to identify the developers or provide other details, saying discussions with the project’s promoters are still ongoing. He said the proposal has passed the first stage of the bank’s credit approval process but must still undergo further due diligence and additional credit approvals before final approval.

Mr Woods said more information is needed about the project, particularly because hotel workers in remote locations often face problems over pay, hours, holiday compensation and working conditions.

He said the union frequently receives complaints from workers in remote properties where employees are less visible and oversight is weaker.

“The work hours are not compensated for,” he said. “When it comes to holidays and the like, they're not properly compensated as it relates to that. So we find a lot of complaints coming from those remote places where, because they're away from and there's no one seemingly to check daily or regularly on how the employees are supposed to be treated, how they are handled.”

“The employer seemed to get away with it, particularly when they are providing housing for these people, because of course, if you take me from from where I’m domicide and then you put you on someplace else, you're putting me up against a higher expectation for me.”