PHILIPSBURG:--- President of the Workers Institute for Organized Labor (WIFOL) Theophilus Thompson told reporters at the Windward Islands Chamber of Labor Unions weekly press conference on Tuesday that he fears that the same strategies that were used by Simpson Bay Resort Management Company (SBRMC) are now being used by Sonesta Group of Companies.
Thompson said one of the main problems the union is having is that some workers don't know their rights even though they have been working on St. Maarten for years. He said some workers sign labor agreements that are not in their benefit. He said that the Sonesta Group of Companies was allowed to close down one of their companies without following the necessary procedures and open a new company to which the workers were transferred. He said one of his fears is that the benefits the workers accumulated for the years they worked for the old company is not taken up in the new company. "This is a very serious problem in the labor market, since the Pelican Resort saga we noticed that a number of companies have been changing hands. The same owners of old companies are opening new companies without ensuring they preserve the rights of their workers." Workers from the Sonesta Group of Companies suffered through this kind of operation. The workers that suffer the most are the workers of the housekeeping department. "These workers were asked to sign new contracts and their accumulated rights were not taken into account." Thompson said because of the lack of knowledge, workers have been giving up their rights. He called on workers to ensure they inform the unions that are representing them about these new contracts even if the employers tell them that nothing changes. The unionist said when workers sign these work contracts they in fact take back the power they gave to the union. He said an employee who worked for six years at Maho was recently told that her services are no longer needed.
Thompson said WIFOL is representing the workers at Great Bay Beach Resort and the union is expected to sign a new Collective Labor Agreement (CLA) next week with the company.
