Fed up with the existing working conditions, employeees at the Sandals resort staged a sick-out on Monday. The hotel’s employees are not backed by a union.
The unhappy workers assembled on Goodman’s Bay, in an attempt to show management that they would no longer resort to having their queries of low wages, wrongful dismissals and suspensions go unanswered. There were also others who claimed that working conditions are poor, employees are given short half hour lunch breaks and are only allowed to make emergency phone calls.
An employee at the resort, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Guardian that there have been several meetings with the general manager, Stephen Zadie and employees, to discuss existing conditions, but they were told by management to accept the existing conditions or leave.
“I think this is poor. We are Bahamians and we will stand for what we mean. We are having a sick-out today, because we need someone to come into Sandals and do much more than what is going on right now,” adding that “the hotel runs an almost 100 percent occupancy on a daily basis, but we remain to be underpaid.”
The Sandals employee also complained of having to work split shifts. “This really consumes my day and after a three or four-hour break in the morning, I have to come back for an evening shift. Right now we are trying to organize a union at the resort, but we don’t want to associate ourselves with the hotel union,” said the Sandals employee, who refused to state why.
Pat Bain, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, told The Guardian that even though he does not represent the workers at the Sandals Resort, he was told that Monday’s sick out was only a “mild” one and after workers were assured that a meeting would be held with management sometime this week, they agreed to return to work.
“They only agreed to go back to work after being told that the matter would be looked into in an attempt to get things back to normal,” said Mr. Bain.
The BHCAWU president said that his union on two occasions made attempts to unionize the workers, but they did not have the 50 plus one percent that the law requires. Mr. Bain noted that if the employees wish to have a union, no one can stop them and indicated that after two attempts to unionize the Sandals employees, he would be making a third attempt.
“I don’t know how soon, but I know that there has been an invitation asking them to come and talk with us,” he said.
Up to press time, attempts to reach the general manager of the Resort were fruitless. The Guardian was told after several attempts that he was attending meetings.
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
