Delano Seiveright, Senior Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, reasons with staff at Iberostar who protested on Friday.
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Delano Seiveright, Senior Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism
By Clinton McGregor
Senior Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright, says operations at Iberostar hotel in St. James continued on Friday, despite protest action by staff members.
The hotel workers took industrial action demanding higher wages and better working conditions.
They have also called for a change to the three-week pay cycle, adding that they have been receiving their salaries late.
But Mr. Seiveright is calling for hotel operators across the island to have more dialogue with their employees in order to avoid protest action.
"The workers, as you know, are the backbone of Jamaica's tourism industry and they play a vital role in the success of our products. So we really do truly understand the pressure people are under, especially with cost of living, which is an issue all over the world," he acknowleged.
Mr. Seiveright said Friday's protest again brought to the fore the need for "open, consistent and face-to-face dialogue between staff and management at all levels" to promptly address concerns and clarify issues.
"Some of the issues, of course, will take time and they are complex in nature, but some are basic. The biggest issue for today... really surrounded the payroll and the timing of the payroll when people get their pay. And there are also issues surrounding allowances and so on. These issues are going to be fixed," he promised.
Following Tuesday's strike at Secrets and Breathless Resorts, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions repeated its call for a Joint Industrial Council noting that the concerns raised by the workers are not unique to those hotels.
It said the industrial council would seek to address the issues before they cascade across other properties.
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