Sandals Resort in Dover, Christ Church, Barbados, has laid off over 200 workers, raising concerns about job security in the tourism industry. The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has described the layoffs as part of a typical seasonal pattern, reflecting the annual downturn in business faced by the wider industry.
The news of the layoffs was first revealed on Friday by Toni Moore, general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), who highlighted the need for job security to align with the provisions of the collective agreement between the BWU and the BHTA.
Moore accused the hotel of undermining unionisation efforts, claiming that the company had directly consulted workers about the termination of their contracts without union involvement.
However, Griffith countered that the layoffs were unrelated to the BWU and were under discussion with the Ministry of Labour for the last three weeks. Many hotels typically scale back operations after Crop Over, often closing for renovations during September when there is a significant decrease in business. Workers are usually laid off if the closure period exceeds their holiday entitlement.
Griffith was unable to confirm whether Sandals would rehire the redundant workers once the industry picks up for the winter season. He stated that there is a slowdown of business and internal rationalizations going on, but he cannot speak as to if or when persons would be rehired.
Moore expressed concern that the hotel might hold a job fair in the coming months to replace the redundant workers with new hires, a practice she argues contradicts long-established agreements in the sector.
