By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government’s labour director yesterday said he wants to “make a statement” that all workers in The Bahamas are protected by law regardless of nationality amid an investigation into a private cruise island.

Howard Thompson told Tribune Business this was the first time during his leadership that the Department of Labour has “received so many complaints in bulk from expatriate employees” as he and his team prepare to fly to Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) Great Stirrup Cay and probe whether the allegations are accurate.

He spoke out after this newspaper was sent correspondence by employees at the private cruise port, located in the Berry Islands, claiming they are being “unfairly treated” and not paid in accordance with Bahamian labour laws. In particular, they allege that they are working 70-hour work weeks, in excess of the Employment Act’s 40-hour work week, without being paid overtime or receiving holiday or vacation pay.

Norwegian Cruise Line, when contacted by Tribune Business seeking comment, asked for more time to reply as it was “just looking into” the situation based on the nature of this newspaper’s inquiries. It indicated a response would be forthcoming by midday today, but Mr Thompson confirmed the nature of the employees’ complaints had also been communicated to him and the Department of Labour.

“That’s correct. That’s accurate,” he said, when asked if Norwegian Cruise Line staff stationed on Great Stirrup Cay had contacted himself, Mr Curtis, the assistant director and the Department over their concerns. 

“I can’t say too much, but somebody at the ministry is organising a flight for me and my team members to fly down there; hopefully on Wednesday [tomorrow] but, if not, on Tuesday after the holidays,” Mr Thompson told Tribune Business. “We’ve had a couple of whistleblowers and anonymous complaints... There’s somebody in management who kind of blew the whistle.

“I reached out to the human resources head down there, and arrangements are being made for my team to fly down there.” Mr Thompson also confirmed that the complaints received by Tribune Business were the same as those submitted to the Department of Labour.

“Correct. It’s that they were not being paid in accordance with Bahamian labour laws, and haven’t been paid, and what they were paid was not in accordance with Bahamian labour laws,” he added. “The bulk of them are expatriate employees but we do have Bahamians who are also complaining down there.

“The bulk of it is expatriates. We kind of want to make a statement that so long as you are a worker in The Bahamas, whether a Bahamian or expatriate employee, the laws of The Bahamas protect and apply to you. That’s why I told my team to go down there, make a statement, discuss the matter with them and see the best way to move it forward.

“This is the first time in my tenure that I have received so many complaints from expatriate employees; there have been one or two, but this is in bulk and very concerning.” Tribune Business has received two separate letters from Great Stirrup Cay workers, the contents of which Mr Thompson confirmed as genuine and authentic, in which they complain their contracts state they are ship-based staff and not private island employees.

Noting that the expatriate staff hold Bahamian government-issued work permits, one letter detailed a series of alleged grievances. “We are a group of expatriate employees currently working on Great Stirrup Cay, the private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line in the Berry Islands, Bahamas,” it asserted.

The letter claimed staff are “being issued contracts that do not comply with Bahamian labour laws and, in many cases, these contracts fall below the minimum wage standards set by the Bahamian government. Many crew members are being issued contracts that state they are employed on a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel, yet we are working full-time on land at Great Stirrup Cay with no maritime duties or seafaring involvement.

“We’ve also experienced unexplained and unfair reductions in pay, as well as a severe lack of transparency regarding payroll deductions, entitlements and benefits,” the letter added. This was backed by a second document, also sent to Tribune Business, which was addressed to Alfred Sears KC, the minister of Immigration and National Insurance.

It is unclear why the letter did not name Pia Glover-Rolle, who is the minister of labour, but it alleged that the grievances include both Norwegian Cruise Line and Great Stirrup Cay Management Company employees and extend all the way from management and supervisory staff right down to line workers.

“Norwegian Cruise Line employees have been working ten hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays without proper compensation for overtime, holiday pay or vacation pay. When we raised these concerns with Norwegian Cruise Line’s island-based human resources manager, she assured us that ‘everything is included in your salary per your contract’,” the letter claimed.

“However, after thorough calculations, we have discovered that this is incorrect. Employees are effectively earning between $2-$4 per hour, making it clear that our wages do not legally or fairly account for the required compensations.”

The letter claimed that, in January 2024, all Great Stirrup Cay Management employees were instructed to work the standard 40-hour, five-day week with no “explanations or contract adjustments”. Then, in December last year, Norwegian Cruise Line purportedly compensated all Great Stirrup Cay Management line staff from the Dominican Republic but excluded all others from this move.

“In January 2025, we formally sought assistance from the director of labour, Mr Thompson, providing all relevant details,” the letter added. “After the Labour Department reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line just a day before the ground breaking ceremony, the company issued a response. We forwarded this letter to the director, Mr Thompson, and Mr Curtis, the assistant director, for further guidance.

“We were advised to wait for the new contracts and submit it for review before signing. However, on February 3 ,2025, the company introduced a new contract, which was subsequently put on hold due to non-compliance with Bahamian labour laws. Since then, we have not signed any contract, yet our salaries were reduced below our usual earnings and no retroactive payments have been made.”

The “ground breaking” refers to the mid-January 2025 celebration for the start of construction on Norwegian Cruise Line’s new pier at Great Stirrup Cay. Meanwhile, the letter also questioned who qualifies for new contracts, while alleging that salaries have been reduced despite no employee signing them.

“Many employees fear retaliation, including contract non-renewals for advocating for fair compensation and legal compliance,” it added. “Despite working full-time hours and overtime, partially sixth/seventh day and holidays, our actual payments received do not match our hourly rate listed on our pay slips.”

Calling on the Government to intervene to ensure “employees are treated fairly and compensated in accordance with Bahamian labour laws”, the letter purporting to represent all Great Stirrup Cay staff told Mr Sears: “Your guidance and support will be valuable, and we hope for immediate resolution that upholds the rights and dignity of all employees affected since this has come to a critical point.”

The labour-related concerns have emerged just as Norwegian Cruise Line’s has unveiled plans to expand the amenities and attractions available to its cruise passengers on Great Stirrup Cay. The upgrades include a welcome centre, pool area with swim-up bar, splash pad, poolside cabanas and an island-wide tram system. The Vibe Beach Club and Horizon Park recreation zone, previously only found on-ship, will also feature.

“This is one of our top-rated destinations,” said Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive, Harry Sommer. “These newly announced enhancements to Great Stirrup Cay will further improve the guest experience on the island. “As we anticipate annual guest visits to exceed one million by 2026, we are actively evaluating additional investments in the island to support that growth and expand the amenities our guests can enjoy.”

The accusations have also surfaced just as The Bahamas continues to promote itself to the cruise industry, with multiple lines investing hundreds of millions of dollars in their own private island destinations throughout the archipelago. Cruise passengers now account for between nine to ten million of The Bahamas’ annual visitors, having increased year-over-year by 20.3 percent in 2024.