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Strike at Gran Bahai Principe resort escalates
Gran Bahai Principe resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann.
The industrial action at the Gran Bahai Principe resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, has escalated.
This, as staff members on the hotel's afternoon shift have joined protest action staged by their colleagues on Saturday morning.
The hotel, which is almost at full capacity, is being manned by managers and casual workers.
Earlier Saturday, the Island Supervisor of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), George Nicholas, announced that scores of workers at the Bahia Principe Hotel in Runway Bay, St. Ann, will remain off the job until next Monday.
Union delegates held meetings with the hotel's management, Saturday afternoon.
Mr. Nicholas told RJR News that the decision has been made for the workers to be paid double time for holiday work, and time and a half for overtime work.
However, the issue of gratuity payments remains outstanding.
Mr. Nicholas says the workers are currently paid gratuity at 3%, while industry workers elsewhere are paid a 10% gratuity.
“On the re-judge of the gratuity, the Ministry of Labour will be sending some officers here on Monday when it will be discussed, so there is no finalization on the gratuity. As a result of that the workers have decided that they are not going back to work until Monday when the Ministry comes and we agree on something. The BITU is supporting them 100%,” Mr. Nicholas said.
The more than 200 members of the hotel's line staff are protesting the non-payment of gratuity.
An employee told our newscentre that a meeting convened, this morning, got heated, prompting a walk-out by two union delegates.
“About ten minutes after we saw them come outside telling us that they are trying to solve some of the problem but they are saying that they cannot meet some of the account people so they have to wait until Monday. We have been getting this cook-up for a long time, a very long time,” she said.
The workers said in November, the hotel opened another section of the property, resulting in the same number workers carrying out additional duties, without any increase in payments.
Gran Bahai Principe resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann. The industrial action at the Gran Bahai Principe resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, has escalated.
This, as staff members on the hotel's afternoon shift have joined protest action staged by their colleagues on Saturday morning.
The hotel, which is almost at full capacity, is being manned by managers and casual workers.
Earlier Saturday, the Island Supervisor of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), George Nicholas, announced that scores of workers at the Bahia Principe Hotel in Runway Bay, St. Ann, will remain off the job until next Monday.
Union delegates held meetings with the hotel's management, Saturday afternoon.
Mr. Nicholas told RJR News that the decision has been made for the workers to be paid double time for holiday work, and time and a half for overtime work.
However, the issue of gratuity payments remains outstanding.
Mr. Nicholas says the workers are currently paid gratuity at 3%, while industry workers elsewhere are paid a 10% gratuity.
“On the re-judge of the gratuity, the Ministry of Labour will be sending some officers here on Monday when it will be discussed, so there is no finalization on the gratuity. As a result of that the workers have decided that they are not going back to work until Monday when the Ministry comes and we agree on something. The BITU is supporting them 100%,” Mr. Nicholas said.
The more than 200 members of the hotel's line staff are protesting the non-payment of gratuity.
An employee told our newscentre that a meeting convened, this morning, got heated, prompting a walk-out by two union delegates.
“About ten minutes after we saw them come outside telling us that they are trying to solve some of the problem but they are saying that they cannot meet some of the account people so they have to wait until Monday. We have been getting this cook-up for a long time, a very long time,” she said.
The workers said in November, the hotel opened another section of the property, resulting in the same number workers carrying out additional duties, without any increase in payments.
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