“The staff resigned after the resort’s management warned them that they would be dismissed if they continued the strike,’’ a staff member working at the hotel told Minivan News. “They were demanding the management reinstate the job of the sacked supervisor, and remained in their rooms without coming out for work.’’
The staff member alleged the supervisor was dismissed for failing to sending his staff to a training class.
“The nine staffs working under him gave in their resignation letter and left the island when they realised that continuing the strike would only get them sacked,” he said.
The staff member claimed resort management had been looking for an opportunity to dismiss the F&B manager, after an incident during final days of Ramadan when the General Manager’s room was vandalised.
“Following the incident police officers arrived at the island and arrested three suspects,” the staff member said.
He claimed the suspects were kept in custody “without any evidence or witnesses”, but were released the next day.
“The three staff [arrested] were the three suspected by management [of committing the crime], but they were unaware of the incident,’’ the staff member claimed, alleging that management subsequently began blacklisting and dismissing “anyone who raised their voice against the management over poor staff facilities.”
“We keep telling the management that this is a five star luxury hotel, and they could do much better than this,’’ he said. “But everyone who tries to raise this subject gets terminated with the slightest provocation.’’
Human Resources Manager of Alila Villa Deepa Manual said Minivan’s information was incorrect.
“Similar events took place in the hotel, but at the moment we would not like to disclose any information regarding the issue,’’ she said.
Vice President of the Tourism Employment Association of the Maldives (TEAM) Ibrahim Mauroof, said the issue of staff mistreatment at resorts was “an issue of concern”.
”Because of the influence of resort owners, staff are often unaware of the rights they have that are stated in the constitution,” said Mauroof. ”Most of the time they do not even know how to demand their rights when they are abused.”
Mauroof added the new laws being drafted governing strike action would narrow the right to strike enshrined in the constitution.
”[The regulations] says that a strike can only be conducted with the consent of management, after it has been provided in a written document,” he said. ”Furthermore, if the strike obstructs the services and affects the customers, the strike can be declared unlawful and striking staff can be arrested.”
He said the issue was “a great concern”, but that it could still be resolved if the organisations involved “came to one table to discuss the issue.”
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the staff rights and the managements control should be of a limit.
The labour rights issue is rearing its head every once in a while and may never go away. Its time for a comprehensive solution rather than a quick fix approach. Both the resort owners and workers must find a new deal that is a win-win.
I personally know Alila Management.. They are the best that you can find in terms of taking care of their employees.. This striking has to stop...
Tourism NGO's should compile a Hospitality Manpower database and add reviews in order to avoid these unruly elements from eroding our ecomomy's backbone...
Its time to act... And TEAM should be abolished or management changed..
In the globalized world we live in, resort owners cannot continue business as usual without good work standards. With globalization and internet, the workers also have the power of the media.
Its best for resort owners if they are more accommodating and sympathetic before the labour issue blows in their face. Besides, Maldives is a small rich nation.. why shouldn't workers be treated well.
I work in Alila Villas Hadahaa from the opening ,,, and i know very well about alila and the local company Driftwood,, In the resort there are lots of problems that nobody cares ,,,they call it 5 star luxury,, design and so many names,, its been one year now nothing is good in ther resort ,,
they want the line staff like slaves ,,,what they say is always right, if anyone of us open our mouth they blak list us and terminate without any valid reason,,
People think about it,,,this is our Maldives and our islands ,,,we dont want any bad thing happen in our country,,we love peace and we want alila villlas handahaa to become number one resort in the world ,,,we talk about discrimination and we talk about the staff food and so on,,,,we never ask u to build our house ,,we just asking from u is to give us some clean environment to work and other our basic needs,,,,there is not enough staff uniforms for more than 6 months now,,,thats what we talk,,,if u guys cant take that much please leave maldives ,,,,i think we can manage better than Alila,,,
we gave you one year and always the answer was its been ordered and its on the way,,,,but never comes ,,,maybe on the way its all sinking to Huvadhoo Sea,,,,
Alila get lost from huvadhoo atoll , maybe alila don't know about south Maldivian style,
I see a lot of 5 star hotels here in the maldives. But I have to say the staff accomodation are 0 star.
Sorry for the owner and very sorry for the Tourism Ministery, since you send yopung unexpirience people to check tourism related buisnes NEVER could work it out. You should follow the rulls and not the BUZZ.
there is more abuse of worker I know from them they call me. But as a foreigner I am handcaved.
Yes, TM should after your "brother and sister" folk of maldives. just seating in the office dosn't work !!!
Minister should work together!!! unfortunatly isn't !!!
If driftwood(associated with NOVELTY PRINTERS)cannot treat its workers fairly,then no one in this country can.
Yes, everything is true, i believe all of the concerns. cox the same is happenning in Shangri-la Maldives.
they use the staff like slaves ,,,what they say is always right, if anyone of us open our mouth they blak list us and terminate by showing a stupid reason,,
People think about it,,,this is our Maldives and our islands ,,,we dont want any bad thing happen in our country,,we love peace and we want Villingili also to become number one resort in the world ,,,we talk about discrimination and we talk about the staff benefits and so on,,,,we never ask u to build our house ,,we just asking from u is to give us a peace environment to work and our basic needs,,,,there is not nough staff uniforms for more than 8 months now,,,thats what we talk,,,if u guys cant take that much please leave maldives ,,,,i think we can manage better than Shangri-la,,,
we gave you one year and always the answer was its been ordered and its on the way,,,,but never comes ,,,maybe on the way its all sinking to Addu Sea,,,,
I have been to Alila Villas last february as a guest, here i will write the experience,
we arrive to the resort around 2 in the afternoon,when we arrive to the resort the general manager Greg William (Australian) and the Assistant manager Alexdier (Australian) where on the jetty to welcome us,,the only word they say to me is welcome to alila villas hadahaa,,and they escort us to the reception,from there Director of rooms Mr. Nahid ( nice maldivian) introduce to our personal host ( maldivian kind heart ) and we want to our villa,,we than had a nap and around 4 we went to see the places by work,,on the way we stop to the bells bar and had drinks,wile we where there had a talk with one of the waiter and he explain everything in the resort, so the day went very smooth,,the next day we went breakfast around 10 and the waiter gave us the menu and gave a list of not available items 1/3 of the menu items are not available,,he said they where waiting for there supplies coming from male,,i said its ok and i know its a new resort and will have difficulties to get things,,but u know the funny thing is we stayed there for one week and each day there is more items getting not available,, 2 days without fresh orange juice,,,the first day we got Champagne in our breakfast,,but the rest of our stay it was not available,,,they don't have any other alternative to offer,,,the food was not tasty and the worst holiday experience in our life,,,waiters and the line staff they want give there best but we feel like the managers there to relax and there on holiday,,,all the works are doing by the line staffs unlike the other resorts in the maldives,,we have been to hilton,,4 seasons ,,,baniyan tree and baros ,,,we never see a management like in alila,,,they don't care about anything,,greg is with her girlfriend all day,,,,assistant manager always with his wife and around 2 year old baby,,and executive chef is with his wife all day in the beach or swimming pool,,we feel like we are not in holiday,,,this is very real and if anyone like to see this from your own eyes please go there and see what's there job to run this beautiful resort,,yes the resort is very beautiful ,,nice beach ,,rooms are nice,,,but what is missing there is quality managers to run this place,,at that time there was no f&b manger also, executive chef wife went there with no experience but they gave her a position of marine biologist position but she never dive before and she don't know the names of fishes,,one day after breakfast i went to the library and she was there reading fishes of the maldives and she said she is learning now,, same with general manager's wife ,,she worked in island hideaway spa receptionist before and finally they gave a position of sales manager,,,isn't this a big joke,,,executive housekeeper's wife is guest shop manager,,,and so on,,,all the managers life luxury life with there wife or hus or gf or bf....but the line staffs are nothing in there ,,,,line staffs don't have proper uniforms to where,,,mangers don't were uniforms most of the time,,,and during our 2 weeks we met several time with GM,EM from the bar most of the time with there loved ones,,,,they never say hi also,,,,,so maldivian fellow workers ,,please wake up and stand and kick those who are spoiling your beautiful country before its too late,
cris and soffie
We would like to say that we exist to protect workers rights and that is our only goal.
Workers at resorts can only have jobs if the resort can operate effectively.
We are not against resorts and only want to have ALL resorts meet certain basic standards in how they look after their staff.
We are totally against any kind of disruptive action taken by staff or anyone.
In the case of this resort we were not aware of the actions taken by the staff and we do not condone this behaviour.
We are aware that this resort has one of the best staff accomodations of all resorts most are in twin rooms and no-one is in more than 4 to a room - all a/c & attached bathroom with hot/cold water, remunerates their staff very well and the facilities are excellent - if all resorts worked in the same way - we would have achieved our goal.
So we have it from the horse's mouth now. There is Chris and Soffie relating first hand account of their experience in the resort. Even before this Alila villas Hadaha has come to news twice or thrice on similar positions maltreating workers etc. So that the resort has a major problem is a fact. The challenge now is to get the employers to accept the facts. What the employers has to realize is that workers generally are a resilient bunch. They can take a lot. Bit when legitimate concerns are raised they have to listen and take action. We are all in this for business. Nobody is running a charity here.
New update ...today 10 indians came with tourist visa to work alila villas hadahaa.. as a waiter.......
I personally, like alila hadahaa. but I dont like the staffs, beside madhee and one of the breakfast staff I forgot his name. most of the other staffs were annoying, they refuse to give what we should have. The cleaner never clean the room properly, the water never replenish. The reception guy act like he owned the world, and argue that I already paid my trip in advance. and the boutique keeper that balinese woman, snob like fu**.
the staffs didnt give us any drinks on the ships during the fishing trips, but I saw they bring food and drink for the guests and consume it within them self.
I dont enjoy my trip, the staffs are racists, and unpolite. I seriously dont enjoy my 1 week holiday. the resort are beautiful, but not the staffs. thats for sure. read the tripadvisor, everyone complain the staffs service. none complain the hotels.