By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union president Darrin Woods says “quite a bit” of Atlantis workers remain furloughed, adding they continue to hang in the balance for word on what the hotel intends to do with the end to the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Orders.

However, he told The Tribune the mega resort has 30 days from the expiration of those orders—which was last Saturday—to make a decision on the way forward for the workers.

The expired emergency orders suspended the Employment Act provision requiring companies to provide full severance pay to furloughed workers after 90 days.

“Atlantis has some between 5,000 and 6,000 workers in general and out of that I think about 4,000 plus are a part of the bargaining unit and out of that we have the majority,” Mr Woods said yesterday.

“I would say we (are) just barely scraping 50 to 55 percent of our members who are back to work.

“So, there are still quite a bit of persons who are still home.

“They will tell you that they only have a couple home but I’ll tell you that there are quite a bit that’s still home.”

Despite this, Mr Woods said nothing definitive had been said regarding the way forward, but there was a meeting planned to discuss pertinent issues.

“As a matter of fact we are trying to have a general membership meeting on Wednesday to discuss the whole issue of furloughed workers and also persons who are still unvaccinated.

“But they do have 30 days you know from the expiration date that they have to make a decision.

“So, I guess you can say that they are still within the comfort of the order.”

Last week Press Secretary Clint Watson told reporters that a major employer had been instructed to follow the law pertaining to how the furloughed workers should be treated.

Ultimately, he said a conversation needed to be had to determine the best course of action.

“Here is what has to happen,” he told the media during last week’s weekly press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, “obviously there needs to be a conversation as to will these persons be re-engaged and if not, then what needs to happen next as far as proper packages for disengagement.

“The administration has met with a major employer who did express the need to disengage and we have told them that they had to follow the laws not the emergency orders, the laws as far as payout and how it should be done and they have agreed to follow that.

“So, that is our position with other companies.

“It’s one thing to say people are furloughed but there ought to be at some point a bending point. You just can’t have people just waiting and saying we’ll see what happens.”

He continued: “There are a lot less people on furlough than there were when we were in the height of this pandemic and so the ones that are on furlough, we have been talking with those employers to ensure that a decision is made because it has to be made so people know whether they’ll be re-engaged. Whether or not they are going to have to move on and if so give them their package and what is rightfully due according to the labour laws of this country.

“So, we are very much mindful of that.

“The Department of Labour is very aware of that and is having that conversation to ensure the law is followed in regards to persons who are furloughed.”

Labour Director Robert Farquharson was contacted for comment yesterday.

However, he declined saying a statement was coming addressing the issue.

No statement was received up to press time.