Normality returns to Secrets Hotel after staff strike

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

A sense of normality has returned to Secrets Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James after workers, on Tuesday morning, took strike action to protest against low pay and work conditions.

 

The strike triggered similar action from workers from the adjoining property, Breathless Montego Bay Resort and Spa, who walked off the job, while those at Oyster Bay in Trelawny stayed home.

 

Delano Seiveright, Senior Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, who met with Secrets hotel staff and management, told Radio Jamaica News that most of the workers have since returned to their duties.

 

He said the outstanding issues will be discussed in the coming weeks. 

 

"I know the situation at the hotel is about 85-90 per cent normalcy. We ran through the issues that the staff had. We ran through the issues also

with management as it relates to addressing some of their concerns. We also picked up that there's some miscommunication and misunderstandings. And this is why we emphasise with all our tourism partners, that communication is absolutely important, and daily, direct, face-to-face communication helps in ensuring that the appropriate messages are transmitted," he reasoned. 

 

Mr. Seiveright said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be sending a team to meet with the management and members of staff regarding the issues and how best they can be resolved. 

 

"We have always emphasised to the workers that they are critical to the survival of the tourism industry. So I want to ensure that they are properly taken care of," he said. 

 

Mr. Seiveright noted that the Ministry of Tourism will be making routine checks with staff and management to ensure the necessary systems are in place.

 

He said the hotel has committed to ensuring its staff is incentivised. 

 

"I know for a fact that the hotel has ensured that staff here has at least two days off per week. I know for a fact that this hotel has a good pension scheme in place and a number of other benefits that are in place, including the fact that they will be getting their Christmas bonus. That is absolutely confirmed and reconfirmed by myself here. But also we will have follow-up meetings with them to ensure that the grievances and the concerns are address," he promised. 

 

Some 100 workers at Secrets, participated in the industrial action.

 

More than 1,300 people are employed at the hotel.

 

Their grouses include meagre commission rates and issues with security of tenure due to longstanding contract work.

 

The workers, who say they are underpaid and overworked, had, on Tuesday morning, demanded the presence of Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett to address their issues.