The contract would benefit about 6,000 workers at 11 different hotel properties.
Both the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) and the Bahama Hotel Employer’s Association (BHEA) on Monday remained tight-lipped regarding the new offer, but the Bahama Journal has learnt that it is much more favourable than the offer originally made.
The Association had offered a 6.5 percent salary increase for workers over a five-year period and lump sum payments of between $300 and $500.
But that has been upped, with specific improvements for each year of the contract.
Holding a strike threat over the heads of Association members, union executives, meanwhile, have been pushing for a 12 percent salary increase over four years.
Union General Secretary Leo Douglas has said that 12 percent is not much to ask for.
Government officials are keeping their fingers crossed that union President Pat Bain and his executives will accept the offer.
Mr. Bain had been locked in talks throughout the weekend with Prime Minister Perry Christie and Labour Minister Vincent Peet, who reportedly placed considerable pressure on him to accept the offer.
But the union is now being asked to “bring something to the table.”
The new contract would include a productivity clause, something Minister Peet has been pushing for every new agreement to have.
Meetings with both sides continued Monday as the dispute appeared closer than ever before to reaching conclusion.
But the government and the Association are fearful that the more militant factions of the hotel union may reject the new proposal.
The government is anxious to bring the matter to an end fearing that the situation may be negatively impacting the tourism industry and the economy as hotels remain in limbo.
State Minister for Finance James Smith has said that any expected gains in tourism this year could be threatened by an unstable industrial environment.
His remarks came as the Washington Post, a leading newspaper in the United States, listed The Bahamas as the 2nd hottest destination to visit this year, just behind Athens, Greece and ahead of Botswana.
The Post encouraged its readers to visit The Bahamas and the other nine destinations on the “Top Ten” list.
The Bahama Journal
