Minister of Labour Colin Jordan has announced formal minimum weekly pay rates and employment conditions for tourism industry workers, hailing it as a significant step for workers’ rights.
The package, based on the existing collective agreement between the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), establishes minimum benefits for workers in the tourism and accommodation business.
BWU General Secretary Toni Moore described the move as “a big moment for labour” and “a very good day for us”.
Jordan told Parliament on Friday in a Ministerial Statement that the new standards include written work schedules to be communicated to employees at least 48 hours before the start of the work week, except in exceptional circumstances.
Additionally, the introduction of a night differential will ensure that employees working late hours are compensated appropriately for their time.
“A night differential of $1.50 shall be paid to an employee for every hour of his or her being rostered or requested shift that falls between 11 p.m., and 7 a.m. An employee who works on his or her day off or rest day shall be paid at double his or her normal rate of pay.
“Where split shifts are already in operation, there shall not be more than three in a five-day work cycle. There are to be no new split shift arrangements unless agreed between the workers and employers,” Jordan told the Lower House.
He also highlighted new conditions that will require employers to provide safety footwear, uniforms, and transportation, ensuring that workers are equipped to perform their roles safely and effectively.
The minister also outlined minimum weekly rates of pay, which exclude service charge.
Room attendants in a luxury establishment are to be paid at a rate of $412.49 per week, while general workers in an A-class establishment should receive a minimum of $340 weekly. A bellman in a B Class establishment, $340, a receptionist in an A-Class establishment, $399.53, a waiter and waitress in a luxury establishment, $447.33, a storeroom attendants in an A-Class establishment, $369.19, and a general cook in a B-Class establishment $340.
Moore added that basing these standards on the long-standing collective agreement as the means “whether you are in the agreement or not, and you want to benefit from concessions, you must now follow, as an employer, the collective agreement”.
The new regulations also address late-night and early-morning work. Employers must provide transport for employees working beyond midnight or starting before 6 a.m., at no cost to the worker.
“Where an employee is required to work beyond 12:00 midnight, the employer shall provide for the employee, transportation to his or her home. Where on a workday an employee is required to report for duty before or up to 6 a.m., the employer shall provide transportation to work for that day at no cost to the employee.
“Where an employee is not expected to work beyond 12:00 midnight but expects to take the 12:00 midnight or last scheduled public transport vehicle to his or her home, the employee should advise the employer of his or her transportation issues so that adequate provision can be made for them to be permitted to take the public night transportation. An employee who is granted permission in this instance shall not suffer any loss of wages,” the labour minister further outlined.
Jordan stressed that these standards are subject to adjustments based on ongoing negotiations between the BHTA and BWU.
The minister also highlighted the importance of the service charge, noting that where it exists, a Joint Service Charge Points Committee must be established to oversee record-keeping and distribution of the fee to the staff.
The BWU’s Moore rejected suggestions that workers would no longer need union membership, arguing instead that both employers and employees would have more reason to join their respective organisations to have a say in future agreements.
As the tourism industry adapts to these new regulations, the administration is pinning its hopes on improved working conditions leading to higher service quality. Jordan emphasised: “Our people must be capable of performing at the highest standard in all roles in our most important industry.”
The minister also addressed the issue of uniforms, stating that operators of visitor accommodations requiring employees to wear distinctive uniforms must provide at least three changes annually at no cost to the worker.
Moore highlighted the broader implications of these new standards, particularly in relation to the Labour Concessions Act passed in February.
She said: “Why is today important? Because the minister of labour, by issuing and laying in Parliament a statement establishing the minimum standards, it now means that it can give effect to the Act.
“We have to point out very clearly that it isn’t that everybody has to follow the minimum standards, full stop,” she said. “They follow these minimum standards if they want to benefit from concessions. So, if you are not adhering to the minimum standards, there must be an understanding that you don’t get the concessions.”
The BWU general secretary also addressed concerns about the relevance of union membership in light of these new standards. She argued that the developments actually strengthen the case for both employer and employee organisation membership. “I would imagine that employers would now want to join the BHTA because they should wish to have a say in any agreements that ultimately will impact them and their businesses; and likewise, workers would want to join the union, because, as the Collective Agreement is modified, the minimum standards likewise, would be modified.” (EJ/RG)
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