The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

KIRK Russell, vice-president of the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association, claims that workers at the newly-opened Memories Resort in Grand Bahama are being paid salaries that are below hotel industry standards.

While addressing workers at the annual Labour Day March and Rally at the Bahamas Public Services Union Hall on Friday, Russell reported that maids at the hotel are earning $3.50 per room or $35 a day, for a weekly take home pay of only $175.

He believes that the workers’ salaries across the aboard are comparably much less than the other major hotel properties in Grand Bahama and New Providence.

“The workers are getting crumbs when you look at what is happening at Memories,” he said.

Mr Russell believes that the union should have been invited by the government to sit at the table during their meetings with the hotel operators to negotiate better salaries for workers.

“The union was never invited to the table for the entire process from the deal was signed up until the hotel open. And today you have maids at that property who are making a measly $3.50 cents per room; they’ve got ten rooms per day to clean and that is not including gratuity – no one knows where the grats goes.”

Mr Russell said a maid earning $35 per day or $175 a week is unacceptable, especially since 30-40 years ago maids earned much more.

“When my mother was a maid 30-40 years ago, the average take home pay was $400-500 per week. They were able to send their children to college. How is it, today, we as a government and a people can allow maids to be earning $35 a day?

“We have been informed that many of the areas, including pool and beach attendants, lifeguards and all workers at the property are being paid below hotel industry standards.”

The 497-room four-star Memories Grand Bahama Beach and Casino Resort opened in March. It is operated by the Sunwing Group, a leading resort and tour operator and travel company with an airline.

Mr Russell said the salaries of workers at Atlantis, Melia, and Grand Lucayan are significantly higher than the salaries of workers at Memories.

“What is going on at Memories is a crying shame. People employed there are far below industry standards and it is unacceptable,” he said.

The trade unionist said it is important that the government and the unions work together as partners to ensure proper protection and advancement of workers. Mr Russell said employers should be made to establish proper pension funds, and health and welfare plans for workers.

Another area of concern is outsourcing. Mr Russell said permanent workers are being let go and rehired as or replaced by contractual or casual workers with no job security. He said the ILO (International Labour Organisation) considers outsourcing a form of union busting.

He said casual workers are not entitled to certain benefits such as pension, vacation and sick pay. He said they do not qualify for bank loans and fall within the poor working class.

“We want the government to do whatever is necessary to stop this practice,” he said.

Mr Russell also took grave issue with the current minimum wage. He said it is another area of great concern to the union. “We believe the $150 minimum wage is totally inconsiderate and is an insult to workers. It is insufficient and we believe that that minimum wage should be $300-$375 per week.

Michelle Dorsett, president of Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers, agreed with Russell. She said the minimum wage should be increased to $300.

“Workers are being treated like slaves,” she said. Ms Dorsett represents workers at the Grand Lucaya Resort.

Mr Russell said the Employment Act needs to be amended. He noted that employers should be made to also disclose their legal name and not just their trading name to employees. He noted that when workers take their employers to the Industrial Tribunal employers do not show up because the summons is not in the legal name.

Mr Russell said laws also need to be passed to regulate employment agencies. “There are no laws regulating employment agencies in the country and workers who are in search of employment are sometimes taken advantage of,” he said.