The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Minister Dion Foulkes yesterday confirmed 152 workers will be affected by temporary layoffs at Resorts World Bimini (RWB), with 14 people to be made redundant.

Mr Foulkes added that 11 workers have voluntarily resigned at the resort.

RWB had 600 workers pre-Hurricane Irma and staffing levels are expected to return to 575 workers once staff have been re-engaged, Mr Foulkes said.

In a statement on Wednesday, RWB President Missy Lawrence pointed to a dramatic drop in tourism across the entire Caribbean due to a destructive hurricane season as she confirmed the “anchor property” has started to “curtail staffing.”

Damage

“While Resorts World Bimini is now open and operational, we are still in the process of recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Irma,” Mrs Lawrence said in a statement.

“Commercial air lift continues to only serve a small portion of our guests, and the current ferry service is limited during the winter months due to inclement weather.

“As a result, we have made the hard decision to curtail staffing until a time when increased resort visitation warrants a re-evaluation.”

Yesterday, Mr Foulkes said the resort has asked for a few months to increase arrivals. When pressed for a more specific timeline, he said it would like be three or four months.

He maintained that all affected employees will be eligible to NIB unemployment benefits, adding the Labour Department will process applications in a timely manner.