FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Hotel union members were this morning still awaiting official confirmation that a dispute involving salary deductions would be settled in full by the Royal Oasis Resort, the union’s Second Vice President Lloyd Cooper told the Bahama Journal today.
Union leaders alleged that the resort misappropriated nearly $430,000, resulting in their members being close to five months behind in insurance and personal loan payments.
“It has been brought to our attention that the banks, in which the workers have their mortgages, have given notice that homes and cars would be re-possessed,” Mr. Cooper said.
“In the case of the National Workers Coopeartive Credit Union, $429,020.55 is owed. The members have a Christmas Savings Programme with the credit union and will not be paid during the Christmas because of non-payment by Royal Oasis.”
According to Mr. Cooper, the Royal Oasis Resort also owed close to $85,000 in union dues and Employee Aid Fund payments to the union.
“As a result of this, we continued to pay sick payments and death benefits to our members without receiving a dime from the Royal Oasis,” Mr. Cooper added.
This is not the first time such charges had been levied against the Royal Oasis Resort.
Mr. Cooper maintained however, that this latest alleged action was the worst of such incidents on the part of the resort.
“We are asking for the intervention of the government to have David Buddymeyer removed completely from The Bahamas. He is not what we would call a good investor and he is no good for The Bahamas. And it is a criminal offense for an employer to take its employee’s monies and do with it as they see fit.”
Mr. Buddymeyer is president of the Driftwood Group of Companies, which operates the resort.
Shiela Demeritte, a shop steward made her own allegations against Driftwood.
“I have been working at that hotel for over 20 years and in times past I never had problems with my loans. But ever since Driftwood took over our monies weren’t being paid out. I went to management after I found out that my insurance has lapsed and they told me they would be getting back to me.
“I have a very bad problem with my eyes and as it stands right now my health and life insurance are all lapsed and I have to pay for everything by myself when over $40 per week was being deducted from my salary for insurance.”
Royal Oasis employee Enid Johnson, said, “The bank called me last week to say that I was four months behind in my payments.”
“I am a single mother with three children to take care of, and if I am taking home a blank cheque every week, I want to know why my payments are not being made. The question is, where is my money?”
Hotel union leaders further complained that the resort would not be able to pay Christmas bonuses to its workers this year, citing financial constraints.
They allege that foreign evaluators known as “spotters” were still being employed by the resort and were continuing to cause problems for workers at that property.
On November 4,in a letter addressed to management at Royal Oasis, the union called for the removal of foreign worker Lex Hollander, who they claim had been “dehumanzing” Bahamian workers.
On Friday, a Royal Oasis public relations representative told the Journal that the current financial dispute between the union and the resort could be resolved as early as today.
Several phone calls made to management of the Royal Oasis Resort were not returned up to press time.
By Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
