By PAVEL BAILEY 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

Dozens of workers at Norman’s Cay were abruptly laid off on Friday morning in a mass termination that left stunned employees scrambling to leave the island, some with half their belongings still inside staff quarters.

The Department of labour confirmed that fewer than 40 employees, including ten foreign nationals, were let go in what officials are calling a “downsizing exercise.” However, former employees claim the number was closer to 50 on Friday, with additional terminations occurring on Saturday.

One of those affected, former chef Diallo Osoria, described being told at 9am that his services were no longer needed.

“They said the company was going in a different direction and that redundancies were being made,” he said. He and others were ordered to be on the tarmac by 10.45am but waited in the sun until noon for a flight. “Half my belongings are still on the island,” he added, claiming unsanitary conditions for both workers and guests, including black mould in living quarters.

The layoffs follow a turbulent few months at Norman’s Cay, where the Department of Labour and Immigration conducted a high-profile probe in May. That investigation uncovered severe labour violations, substandard accommodations, and led to the cancellation of work permits for three senior expatriate executives.

Labour director Howard Thompson Jr said the project has since operated without key management. “You can appreciate this would have impacted the fiscal and business side of their operations,” he noted in a statement yesterday to The Tribune.

Government officials held a virtual meeting with the development’s legal team to discuss a proposed reorganisation plan. Mr Thompson said the company admitted past failures and committed to making long-term improvements. “It was a very productive virtual meeting where past mistakes by the company were admitted and a firm resolution for those mistakes to never happen again was communicated,” he said.

Mr Thompson said the company attributed the lay-offs to seasonal downsizing and the closure of one of its restaurants, saying the lull would be used for repairs to staff housing and communal facilities. Officials were assured that by October or November, improvements would be visible and new job opportunities would emerge.

The Department of Labour plans to visit the cay “at the earliest opportunity” to speak directly with remaining employees and ensure protections are in place. Thompson promised swift assistance for those who lost their jobs: “We will be in contact with these persons to help them find alternative employment quickly.”

Norman’s Cay employs an estimated 200 people across its hotel and construction sites.