There is trouble brewing at the kitchen of one local hotel as workers complain about “unacceptable conditions” meted to employees.
ANN on March 27 broke the story that staff of the hotel in question had been warned against speaking to the media about “operational issues” they face. We have since been reliably informed that some five members of staff had been axed by the hotel with another seven (7) employees walking off the job.
According to one former employee, who spoke to ANN under condition of anonymity, during the “brief period” that these workers had been in the employ of the hotel, they never collected salaries as had been agreed to in their signed contracts.
Our source claims that kitchen staff had been contracted with a salary of EC$1,300.00. However up to the time of the dismissals early in the current year, employees had yet to have been paid their full salaries. The source claims that only half salary was received at the end of February.
“I was under probation for three months; I was told that my salary would’ve been raised after the probation period, but then they extended the probation period for another three months stating that the company wasn’t open for business until December,” the source told ANN.
The dismissed worker claims that there had been several other breaches of contract,, including the company’s failure to provide staff meals as stated, and employees being deprived of their forty-five (45) minute break as a result of the “lack of proper accommodation” to facilitate such.
ANN was also told that employees often resorted to “putting money together to purchase food” or would eat whatever was left after the guests had been served. Our source also claims that there existed an issue relating to service charges and tips with some employees collecting more than others, although the employment contract stipulates that such sums collected were to have been distributed equally.
Our source reports that after several months on the job, workers became frustrated and decided collectively not to show up for work. They then met privately and took the decision to demand the payment of their full salaries. However, while they were still meeting privately, a call was received where information was relayed that the entire group had been fired by the hotel management.
ANN spoke with yet another former employee who corroborated the information learnt from our first anonymous source. This second former employee told ANN that he had been also recruited to work in the kitchen from October 2021 and had signed a contract for EC$1,300.00
This source claims that they were “short paid” receiving only EC$650 of the contracted salary promised and that when inquiries were made, they were told that all employees were subject to an EC$125,00 transportation deduction.
This former employee claims that they were fired during a meeting between the Human Resources Department and kitchen staff. This female former employee claims that she was told by HR that there had been “numerous complaints” made about her and therefore the hotel could no longer work with her, hence her termination. This lady claims not to have received her salaries owed and instead only received EC$300.00 severance pay.
These revelations by the fired former hotel employees come in the wake of current employees having been cautioned about speaking publicly about any grievances with the company.
The said source further told ANN that they were fired during a meeting the company’s Human Resources Department convened with members of the kitchen staff.
The source said that during the meeting, she was summoned by HR staff and told that there were numerous complaints made about her and that the hotel could no longer work with said individual and that she had been terminated. She claims that they never received the salaries owed and only received EC$330 severance pay.
The revelations made by the former employees comes after workers had been cautioned about speaking in public about any possible grievances with the company
ANN had earlier reported that workers at this hotel had received a memo station that the Board of Directors had learnt that members of staff were being approached by or were planning to discuss their “operational issues” with the media.
This memo reminded employees of the terms of their contract where Section 8 stipulated that the disclosure of confidential information would result in immediate dismissal. The document further stated that “…should the hotel experience any loss as a result of this breach, the Board of Directors will not hesitate to use the full extent of the law to recover such loss which will include all legal costs.”
ANN reached out to the hotel management but was told “……..