Mitchell says govt must do more to protect Atlantis workers

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Fred Mitchell said yesterday that the government must do more to protect the hundreds of Atlantis workers who are being made redundant.

He accused the government of allowing the resort to withhold its employees’ severance payments for months.

“Day before yesterday, Atlantis wrote the most amazing letter that I have seen after the government facilitated them not paying these people their redundancy money for a year, holding them at bay with the expectation that they would be coming back someday,” Mitchell said in the Senate.

“And people say, ‘I want my money. I want to be separated.’

“And then they write this nice letter in which the managing director … says something to the effect that ‘we must look after the members of Atlantis who are leaving us.’

“They’re not leaving you. You fired them. You fired them, 16 years in one case. Another woman wrote me 32 years gone.

“… And what is more egregious, Madam President, is they can’t give you the money right away.

“They say they’re going to pay you in three-month installments. The government should not allow that to happen.

“Tell them to pay these people their money and to pay what they’re owed and pay it now, not in installments.”

After closing its doors for months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Atlantis began a phased reopening in December, slowly bringing laid-off employees back to work.

However, in a letter to employees on Tuesday, Atlantis President and Managing Director Audrey Oswell announced that it will make 700 of its 7,300 employees redundant in order to reduce the size of its workforce “around a more focused business strategy”.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that employees who are being made redundant at Atlantis will receive their severance payments in installments.

The Nassau Guardian understands that the employees were told that the first payment will be made next week and that the remaining will be made in June and July.

Atlantis is the largest private-sector employer in The Bahamas.

Mitchell suggested yesterday that Bahamians are being taken advantage of.

“You get the impression that Bahamians in this country are a doormat for anybody to go walking on,” he said.

“… And for the government to facilitate that happening just seems to me to be unacceptable, unacceptable.

“… Pay the people the money. Don’t have them waiting for three months.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/mitchell-says-govt-must-do-more-to-protect-atlantis-workers/