Pelican: --- Workers of the Pelican Resort are yet to ratify the agreement their union the WIFOL signed on their behalf close to midnight on Wednesday with Royal Resorts CEO Richard Corso. The agreement was signed when Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger and Minister of Tourism Franklyn Meyers engaged in the negotiations with the President of the WIFOL Theophilus Thompson without the presence of his legal advisor Bonita Hart.
The workers were made aware of the signed agreement on Thursday morning via newspaper publications instead of being informed by their union representative Theophilus Thompson. The revelation of the signed agreement created a commotion at the Pelican Resort early Thursday morning as the workers gathered at their place of employment demanding that they be informed. During that meeting, Thompson told the workers that WIFOL's legal representative Bonita Hart involved in the negotiations which led to the signed agreement, that statement was later disputed by Hart who said she was not invited to Wednesday's meeting. Hart further informed the workers and membership of WIFOL that when she was asked for her advice on the agreement Thompson was asked to sign, she advised him not to sign the document. Thompson then told the workers that even though Hart was the union's legal counsel he did not have to follow her advice all the time. He also made clear that he has other advisors which are not known to the membership.
According to Thompson, the agreement he signed has guaranteed indefinite work for 145 workers while 35 of them would be fired. He said while the agreement is not yet ratified and at least one more signature is needed for the agreement to become binding, the company has to follow all legal procedures laid down by the labour law for any type of mass termination.
This revelation caused great commotion at the Pelican Resort causing the workers to accuse Thompson of selling them out. They also threatened to fire the WIFOL and to take their membership to another union who is ready to represent them. The workers asked Thompson to provide them with the signed agreement so they could have come to a consensus on the document but Thompson said he did not have the document with him and did not feel it was necessary to ask management for a copy to qualm the feelings of his membership.
The workers also asked Thompson to tell them if management of Royal Resorts or the new management companies had already identified which of the 35 workers were facing termination and that too he said he did not have. Thompson also denied the workers permission to attend the scheduled central committee meeting called on Thursday to discuss the Pelican saga which has been widely reported in the media. The unionist said he has the power of attorney to represent and sign on behalf of the workers and their presence in parliament was not warranted.
A meeting was scheduled to be held with the workers at the head office of the WIFOL where the agreement would have been presented on Thursday night but that meeting had to be canceled as Thompson was in parliament answering questions from the legislators pertaining to the signed agreement. Another meeting is expected to be held on Friday night when the agreement that was signed will be presented to the workers.
