The Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) has condemned a decision made by Alidhoo Resort to sack 12 staff members following a strike over unpaid salaries held last week.
On Thursday July 21 Maldivian staff working at the resort in Haa Alifu Atoll declared themselves on strike claiming that the management of the resort had not paid them salary for the previous month.
“It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,” a staff member working in the resort told Minivan News at the time.
He claimed allowances of the staffs working in the resort had not been paid for the last three months, including service charge and overtime. He further claimed that expatriates working on the island had not received their salaries for three months, but feared for their jobs if they joined the strike action.
The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company was not in the Maldives, he claimed.
“When he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” the staff member said.
The resort’s management dismissed 12 employees following the strike.
Alidhoo’s Human Resources Manager Ali Naseer told Minivan News that he did not have any information that a strike was conducted on the island.
“Many staffs have been dismissed over different issues, issues perhaps concerning their performance,” he said.
Vice President of TEAM, Mauroof Zakir, said the worker’s organisation condemned the management’s decision.
“On many occasions in many tourist resorts, staff have been dismissed after they strike for their rights,” Mauroof said.
He said he had information that police arrived on Alidhoo resort at midnight on the day of the strike, and escorted the dismissed members of staff off the island.
“We will hold a meeting very soon following this incident,” Mauroof said.
Alidhoo Resort is operated by the Maldivian company Yachttours, owned by local businessman Abdulla Jabir who is currently running as a candidate for Chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Minivan News contacted Jabir for comment but was told “don’t ever call me about this again.”
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'don't ever call me again' - doesn't the public have a right to know and media has the the right to find out ?
I don't like the smell of this, especially when someone who is seeking public office considers himself too self-important to answer questions from the press.
Perhaps if the staff and TEAM can provide evidence of their grievance and the resort owners' unfair treatment of staff, then the power of the internet can help them reach people who, like me, visit The Maldives often. We can then inform resorts who treat their staff badly, that we will not be booking with them until they change their attitudes. In my experience, it's not the owners in their ivory towers that make me feel welcome, it's the staff who build personal relationships with their customers every day of the week. They deserve recognition for that and to have their livelihoods protected from exploitative and abusive employers.
If Mr Jabir won't listen to his staff, their representative body or talk to the press, perhaps he'll listen to potential customers and the sound of dollars, pounds and Euros ringing into other resorts' cash registers! How about it Mr Jabir? Anything to say to your customers before I start to publish this though my social network to try and get the ball rolling? These things have a nasty habit of going viral. 🙂
Not many words, only I agree fully with the words of Kevin Armes.
And facebook-publication happened anyway.
Dear Lolly pop!!
If you want have a doller in your pocket and have future you need to treat your employees eaqully and fairly.
Think like this if you have a desire to have a future.You simply need to respect the others.Do not try to put the employees in your pockets.They all will rise at some moment and will put you in hell fire.Try to understand before its too late.Be educated and use the power of the commom senses.
Just for an example: if your dead and who will pay the employees for their hard work and what they deserve.Mr Jabir commented that he was not in the Maldives thats why it got delayed.It really sounds "bullshit".This is the main reason Maldivians cant run this kind of bussiness.
Look at the forign investors doing here in the same bussiness.They do deposit salaries & service charge on time at the end of month.Salaries and benefits are higher then local ownerships.
They do understand the rights of theirs and the others too with respect .But i tell you that those resort owners are not in the Maldives and even they only do visit the property or to the Maldives once in every few years.So simply stop talking "bullshit" organise yourself and educate yourself how to run the bussiness.Otherwise you will never ever get a good result.
An attack on Jabir.
On Minivan?
What happened?
STO thing could not go ahead?
Is Jabir defecting and switching sides once more?
Or is this another factional fight within the MDP?
Hmmm.....
At this very moment President Nasheed is vacationing at Male Atoll Kudavillingili, a picnic retreat owned by Abdulla Jabir. Jabir is also there right now with President Nasheed.
regarding a comment made by one staff member “It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,”
Haven't you heard of SAVING for a rainy day???
I think the staff should be paid for sure but also must understand it was their stupid protesting that lead up to ending up without a job just before Ramadan. Must be accountable !!!
Any idea how Tribunal acts on such complaints??