Round Hill resort staff stage protest

Over 100 line staff employed to the five star Round Hill Hotel and Villas, located in Hopewell, Hanover, have taken strike action, affecting operations at the resort.

The employees, who are represented by the National Workers Union (NWU), demonstrated at the gate of the resort this morning, holding placards expressing their displeasure with the hotel's management.

They say they are concerned about the amount paid to them as end-of-season bonus, without their union's consent.

The tourist season officially runs from December 2023 to March 2024.

Assistant Island Supervisor at the NWU, Alexander Nicholson, told The Gleaner that in 40 years of dealing with the management of that hotel, it is the first time that staff have had to resort to such drastic actions.

“We are currently in negotiation with Round Hill, regarding certain items of claims, we sat at the table on Tuesday to discuss the way forward in regarding to a particular item, the end-of-season bonus,” he noted.

“We left the table agreeing gentlemanly to some aspects of the claim, and we were awaiting a cover letter to change a figure, for us to now check the document, authorise to see if all the payments are correct for the workers to get their money, only to be told that the money was paid on Thursday, with no authorisation from the union,” he said.

He stated that such a move by the hotel is considered as union busting, and a tactic to disregard the union.

“This is the first in over 40 years that the relationship with Round Hill has reached this stalemate,” he emphasised.

He blamed the situation on what he described as a new management team.

Nicholson further stated that he has spoken to representatives from the management team, and a meeting is set for later today, adding “we hope that good sense will prevail at the meeting”.

Meanwhile, Managing Director at Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Josef Forstmayr, in a brief interview with The Gleaner, noted that the hotel and union have worked together without problems for many years, and that the hotel has the greatest staff in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

“We have a disagreement, and we will come to a very good resolution, I am absolutely certain,” he stated.

“We will be meeting in good spirits. I respect the union for their stance. That's part of democracy, it's part of what we all support, and I am sure we are going to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for everybody,” he said.

- Bryan Miller

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