[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rustrated employees of Royalton Saint Lucia voiced their grievances about conditions at their workplace. It was a final resort for the bar attendants on 6 September 2017. They claimed to have previously tried various means of attaining sufficient uniforms and more reasonable working hours. According to one worker, Royalton Saint Lucia has broken several promises to employees.
“We were promised a healthy environment and healthy salaries whereas we are being exploited and victimized,” she told this reporter. “We were promised an increase after six months of employment and were told by Human Resource that service charge would range from $500 to $700 fortnightly. We have yet to receive such amounts, whether the resort is at low or full occupancy.”
The hotel employee also complained about what she described as “the unhealthy conditions in the Food and Beverage Department”. She described that during the heavy rains, “We are serving guests in bars filled with water. Some of us have been electrocuted on the job. Our shoes and uniforms become filthy, with no replacements. Some bars have no ventilation, which causes a ghastly odour. Our complaints are ignored.”
The National Worker’s Union (NWU) was finally contacted by Royalton staff. Consequently Mr. Tyrone Maynard, President General of NWU, wrote to the hotel’s management: “We have been informed by workers employed with your organization of certain industrial relations developments that could interfere with the smooth operation of your hotel. Your managerial officials must get it right and not engage in decision making that could affect the objectives of your operation.”
On 8 September twenty-plus employees received paid suspension until 11 September when a disciplinary hearing was held, to which hotel and employees are entitled to attend. Afterward some workers commented on the meeting: “Futile; absolutely nothing came out of it.” Another similar meeting was scheduled for yesterday (Friday).
