UNION CALLS FOR URGENT MEETING TO STALL REDUNDANCIES
RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann, Nov. 19, 2025)
A cloud still hangs over the future of nearly 2,000 workers at the Bahia Principe Hotels Runaway Bay, St Ann, as the two properties are listed for indefinite closure for refurbishment, and workers are threatened with redundancy.
The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) has written to the Ministry of Labour seeking its “urgent intervention” to halt the closure and redundancies.
One hotel worker who asked not to be identified told the North Coast Times, “Right now we don’t know what is happening. We just waiting. The two properties, the newer ‘Luxury’ and the older ‘Bahia Principe Grande’ are expected to close before the Winter Tourism season starts on December 15.
The Union says it has been engaged in discussions with the hotel’s management after it was initially notified of the management’s intention to close the properties for approximately one year to facilitate refurbishment.
(Workers at the gate of Bahia last November protesting over wage issues)
It says through meetings it has sought to get the hotel owners “to avoid job loss and to support temporary adjustments” that could allow refurbishing without termination of jobs.
However, the Union in a statement said members received a memo dated November 15 “advising of the indefinite closure of the hotels and signalling the commencement of redundancy exercises across both properties.” The union deplored the hotel owners’ position stating that “the action can be viewed as a flagrant attempt to unfairly terminate the workers.”
(Workers outside Bahia Principe last year, November, during a strike)
The North Coast Times reached out to the President of the BITU Kavan Gayle, on Wednesday, November 19, but was unable to get an update on the requested intervention, including a meeting with the Ministry of Labour.
