PM promises to address issues of disgruntled tourism workers

 

As unrest over wages and working conditions spreads across the tourism sector, Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he has met with investors to iron out the grievances expressed by tourism workers.

 

Mr. Holness says hotel staff who have been taking industrial action since late October, are justified in their calls for better terms of employment.

 

He says, with the expansion of the local hospitality sector and its major contributions to the country's GDP, it is only fair that those who serve in the sector are properly rewarded.

 

"I have met just last Friday with some of the investors in tourism. And what I am pleased with is that the investors and owners and managers, they understand this point, that tourism is about happiness. That's what you sell when you're in tourism. And it means that the worker must be happy in order that the visitor is happy. And when the visitor is happy, the management will be happy, and the investor will be happy," he reasoned. 

 

The Prime Minister said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has been "tasked to bring the sector together to have real dialogue about how we're going to ensure that our workers in the tourism industry...are happy". 

 

The government, he said, cannot allow the growing tourism sector to be derailed by grievances in the natural process of adjustment. 

 

Mr. Holness added that there are people who intentionally agitate and incite unrest across the sector in an effort to gain political advantage. 

 

"When they had the political power, they couldn't grow the tourism industry. So when they wreck the tourism industry with reckless actions, can you trust them to repair it and recover it? Don't be fooled by them. I urge all our tourism workers, my government and me personally, we care for you. We understand the issues and we will bring resolution to these issues in a favourable way," he promised. 

 

He was speaking at the Jamaica Labour Party East and West Portland Joint Constituency Conference on Sunday evening.

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