Staff at Kurumba Resort have ceased striking and returned to work following the arrest of 19 staff members on charges of vandalism and intimidation.
Almost all the resort staff have been on strike for the last three days complaining of management inaction over poor staff accommodation, food, unfair distribution of service charges and staff discrimination. Rising tension prompted management to move around 250 guests to other resorts run by the Universal group yesterday, while other visitors chose to depart the country.
Assistant Human Resources Manager at Kurumba, Ibrahim Hassan, told Minivan News that the striking staff were last night given a written ultimatum to report to duty by 9:30pm, “otherwise they would need to continue the strike elsewhere as management would not allow it to continue on the [privately-owned] island.”
“Many staff obeyed and informed HR they were ready to return to work; others were not willing to start work but ultimately they all gave up the strike,” Ibrahim said, adding that four staff members had chosen to resign and leave the island while 19 remained in police custody.
“Management is now reviewing all the issues raised [by the strikers] and believes many are valid,” he said.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed yesterday that police arrived on the island to monitor the situation after receiving reports that management had been threatened. A door was also damaged in a staff room.
“The staff decided to cease the strike after police and management held negotiations,’’ said Shiyam today.
Mohamed Zakir, Vice President of the Tourism Employment Association of the Maldives (TEAM) alleged that staff decided to halt the strike “after police and management threatened staff that they would be terminated from their jobs and arrested.’’
The 19 staff arrested were leaders of the strike, Zakir claimed.
“There was also a riot squad on the island,’’ he claimed. “Management and police demanded staff end the strike and return to work. Most of them agreed, but four of them did not want to stop and are still on strike.’’
Shiyam claimed police “only assisted” negotiations to resolve the stand-off, after talks between staff and management reached a deadlock yesterday, “and did not threaten staff.”
Meanwhile, radio station SunFM today reported Chairman of Universal Mohamed Umar Maniku as saying that the three-day strike had caused the company a loss of more than two million dollars. He also told SunFM that bookings had been cancelled due to the strike.
Ibrahim would not comment on the financial impact caused by the strike.
Sim Mohamed Ibrahim from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said yesterday that the organisation was concerned that “an investment of millions of dollars can be crippled and held at ransom within a few hours by its own employees, whose grievances may or may not be real,” adding that this had occurred in several resorts.
Tourism, namely the country’s 90-odd resort islands, indirectly contributes to 70 percent of the country’s GDP.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referenced the Chairperson of Universal as Ali Mohamed Maniku. This has been corrected to Mohamed Umar Maniku.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Kurumba management evacuates guests as strike talks deadlock- Kurumba workers on strike over poor staff facilities
- Shangri-La staff sacked for playing PlayStation, 157 now on strike
- Alidhoo Resort sacks 12 staff members following strike over unpaid salaries
- Taxi drivers protest against implementation of new regulations
- Ongoing strike at Vilu Reef resort sees 18 staff fired
way to go guys.. 19 morons against a whole country.. this is a good opportunity for kurumba to be real 5 star by getting rid of all left over 3 star garbage of last 30 years..
the writer of the article seem not be doing homework properly . the chairman of the universal is not Ali mohamed maniku. This is not responsible journalism. u should give correct infos to public.u r disgracing the " minivan news"
Thank you for spotting this. The mistake has been rectified and a correction issued. -Minivan News team
“Management is now reviewing all the issues raised [by the strikers] and believes many are valid,”
Good work, STRIKERS!
You sacrifice will make life a bit easier to a lot of workers!
Be optimistic.
OMG Universal lost $2 million dollars from the annual $500 gaziilion dollars they earn
This is a national tragedy
Way to go Government for breaking the back of these staff workers. Well done for keeping them in their place
The Maldives doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the rich and powerful people like the koli family
You second class worthless junk of a people "aka the workers" need to be taught a lesson
GOD BLESS KOLI ALI MANIK, VB SHAWEED, SUN TRAVEL SHIYAM, SUNLAND SHABEER, BURUMA GASIM, CHAMPA AFEEF, AIMA IBRAHIM
I have stayed in Kurumba Village. Its pathetic the way the maangement treats its staff. I regretted spending my pound in a resort which have no moral values.Staff live in unhygenic and over populated rooms. Wages are ridiculously low compared to the amount of money the staff help the owners to generate. And now the way the police intimidated the staff in colloboration with universal is a clear sign that Maldivian government is least bothered in improving and protecting its labour fource. All tourists travelling to Maldives must think tiwce before deciding to stay at Kurumba Village. Avoid the resort. There are so many resorts that you can choose, avoid these morally courrupt resorts
Better change resort name to Kurolhi, like TVM changed it's name to MNBC.
19 arrests?
at least a glimpse of justice left in this country. hopefully the strikers learn not to take justice in their own hands and behave unlawfully.
we need to be civilized if we want to develop and become a better country.
@Naarey
“Management is NOW reviewing all the issues raised [by the strikers] and BELIEVES many are VALID,”
Naarey. Your Momma should have arrested you crying for milk and pooping in your diapers!
Strikes are legal even in the "civilized" world. Dumbo!
I recently had a wonderful holiday on Kurumba, and was therefore sad to hear about recent events. The staff were delightful, friendly and helpful in every way.
I hope the problems are sorted out soon and I look forward to returning to Kurumba.
We need more strikes of this nature to bring this tyranny and monopoly once for all. Koli Mohedhey is telling he is going to claim in court to get what he lost in two days. Who is going to pay us what we have lost for decades, as I said earlier,we have worked in this company. Mohedhey got what he deserves, the abusive language he usually use, like he will call every one "thilhaa elhaa milhaa". after all how can Kurumba Maldives is a private property, its stolen public property, we need to claim to get it back from Mohedhey and Koli clan.
so at the end corporation wins over public. its the corporations rights that is always being protected (cause they've got the money) and individual rights that is disregarded..
So much for the “Rarrithunge Verikan”. I say the people should decide on how much salary they get and who should be there managers. This is the change we all wanted for. New slogan should be “Rayyithunge resort tha Rayyithunge Aimachchah”.
We should also make a new law stating that resort workers should decide which tourists from which country should come to their resort. And CEOs and room boys should not have salary differences. If there is a company board then it should be filled with waiters, room boys and laborers. No service from staff will be available on weekends and staff should be able to rest in guest rooms while guests should move to staff rooms on weekends.
I hope the Anni and Parliament noted the points. As this is “Rayyithunge resort tha Rayyithunge Aimachchah”.
Ekola : remove the 'stolen'' property from Universal and give to Easa to run dho?
Yeah.. he's the most capable person to run private business. I agree. He's very knowledgable in everything.
Power to the People :
the people you've named are the only enterprising people in this country who have a achieved success NOT by sitting at coffees and chain smoking all day and sleeping till late afternoon.
can you name anyone that you believe to treat their employees 'fairly'? Waheed Deen with his 'boys'? look what happened to him. what a joker.
maldivians cant handle it if others suceed. Its small island mentality and petty jealousies all around.
DEAR TEAM COMRADES!
RAIYITHUNGE RESORT THA RAIYYITHUNGE AIMACHA!!!!!
Power to the people!
Also; waiters , front office staff and room boys, under the benevolent guidance of Our Supreme Leader Mr Eaasa should head a committee to decide which offers the resort sells ok? like Stay 5 pay 6 packages etc okay? and price of Early Bird package also.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU MY FELLOW COMRADES AND REVOLUTIONARIES!
Maldives is run by a handful of mega rich resort owners, who exploit Maldivains despite the super profit they make from low rent resorts. The do not pay tax. These resort owners are the puppet masters of maldives politics.
Its time for ethical to tourism.
Protection of basic worker right is a human right.
Without the ability to bargain, workers are just slaves
@gunshot
He will probably have waiters wear masks and carry wooden bats.
Ready for a riot whenever they are needed!
Probably sell gas masks at the souvenir shop too
human rights :
Agree that workers are entitled to their 'rights' and can ask for them . But threatening fellow staff and guests with violence is not the way forward. maldivians are not civilised or educated enough to understand the concepts such as industrial action,most dont even knwo what 'rights' they are demanding. The staff who strike are mere puppets of outside organisations; if they want to be empowered they need to first educate themselves of these 'rights' instead of just believing everythign they are told. Having been involved in several of these strikes recently, i can tell u that most of the staff who strike are unable to clarify their demands properly...they just repeat what they are told by outside organisations who they use it as an opportunity to exact personal vengence spurred by personal jealousies. The real victims are the staff in the end.
To your comment about handful of mega rich resort owners ; what the government does with the rent they recieve is their problem. it is not the resort owners fault if wealth is NOT distributed equally. The previous regime made a very clever habit of vilifying resort owners to cover up this fact. It is up to the government to increase rents and introduce tax bills. and it is up to the government to remove any obstructions to this tax bill (Gasim ibrahim).
Page:
Sitting on our ass and chain smoking?
Yeah we sit on our ass when we serve cocktails to tourists, when we clean their rooms, when we sweep the beaches, when we do maintenance work, when we do accounts, when we handle all the front office operations, when we stay up all night to handle morning departures, arrivals and other grievances, when we have to sleep like animals and work like dogs
We were not fortunate enough to be financially sound to pursue a good education or set up our own businesses
What difference is there from the resort owners to us. We are all human beings and we deserve to be treated fairly
POWER TO THE PEOPLE : u forgot to mention the AAA people and Cyprea . hmmm....wonder why that is.
Do they really make 2 million dollers in 2 days? one million each day..WOW! and how many resorts do they have...and how long have they had them for....
the secret of making more money is to reduce costs. That is why staff should have cramped accomodation. cheap food.and work like slaves. Perfect formula to get rich! try it.
If they make a million dollers (twelve million eight hundred and fifty thousand maldivian rufiya) a day from 1 resort,
and if they would pay mudhalu zakai as they should
this country folks would be so much better off.
Could be another agenda here. Dark forces are moving and promises of other jobs by other resort owners to the troublemakers and money changing hands. Some workers are being led by the nose by others meybe more foolish. The agenda is to intimidate Koli group. This is the way things are moving.. "lets attack resort owner through any way we can including workers strikes to certain objectives". think think.
Page:
AAA, Cyprea, AMIN, etc, help me out with more names Mr.Page
Why I said Kurumba Maldives is a public property, because I did some research on how Kurumba aka Vihamanaafushi initially started. It was an Italian investor who found this during 1976 island and gave the idea that its good to built a resort there. So he found these people Ibrahim Nasir, Kerafa Naseem and Mohedhey. Initially Mohedhey was the cook there even. Once Nasir left Maldives with our entire national wealth. It was Naseem and Mohedhey looking this property and may be they have thrown the Italian guy too. Ultimately Mohedhy got entire property. Since there was Nasir's share in this Mohedey had to compensate that to Government. To my knowledge it was not properly compensated, and who cares that time Ilyas Ibrahim Mohedhey's brother in law was so powerful in Qayyoom's administration.This is a public property ,we need it to go under finance ministry and open for bid to run this resort and free it from Koli clan.
Good for the Universal group. Good lesson taught. Universal group is the worst company who treats maldivians. They have no respect for the locals.
kolli mohodhey i think your tail is bent by the staff of kuruba, you have been asking for this years (nagooo balhu) finally they made your dream come true. I was so happy to hear your interview and how hurt you were to loose millions. I wish god take over all your wealth and make you repent for the sins you committed.
Why don't u guys get proper information before starting to comment on an article.
Before tourists visit Maldives, they should be provided information about the living conditions of the workers.
Photos of staff quarters should be featured in the tourist brochures. Also in the visitmaldives website.
@Right to rights
Another dumbo!
You don't a PHD to ask for your rights!
This is not happening only in Kurumbaa, this all over the maldives resorts. They treat us like we are slave for them. this need to be stop.. stop means really need to get end. Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi this is a one of the warst resort...
@Right to rights
You DON'T need a PHD to ask for your rights!
It's all inherent!
Naarey, Hand in justice and foot in what?
If you have nothing else to do than curse the pple who work for a right, then curse the government for the illicit policies they have implemented on the tourist industry..drinking blood from its own citizens for the uncountable amount of money they will seep in their pockets. & curse people like you who will brand pple like mahatma gandhi as terrorist and pple like al-capone as blessings.
Did you read of any structural losses to the property? NO. were any guests harmed? NO. the loss was the precautions taken by the management to avoid and dissolve the voices.
Pple like KOLI ALI MANIK, VB SHAWEED, SUN TRAVEL SHIYAM, SUNLAND SHABEER, BURUMA GASIM, CHAMPA AFEEF, AIMA IBRAHIM sit in the parliament or behind the pple of the parliament to make the laws..what happened to the salaries of the tourist industry? Why arent service charges having a limitation?
Every one sings and even in this article, it states that 70% of our economy dependent on tourism. The only reason they didnt want the best was because the money they put in their pockets will be reduced. The fishing economy which we were counting on in 90's had come down to nothing..MIFCO has gone down to ashes...this country and all those civil servants are financed by the blood the tourist industry spilled.
If you would like to make an assessment, then start counting these kinds of strikes since 2000 and you will know where we will be in the next 10 years. You landlords, wake up. Maldivians are starting to learn to say NO...today your loss of 2 Billion will be tomorrows 200 Billion and un-accountable.
Hotels that dont accept staff as the biggest asset can go hell.
go ahead brothers in arms...what you fight for today will be the food for our children tomorrow
EKoloa- again you have your facts wrng. Not sure where you are getting them from but it sounds like you have been on the jubbly a bit too much!
So many of you have so much hatred it is pathetic. Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and do something about your life that you hate so much. Also tough, in life there will always be people richer then you, better looking then you, and smarter then you. That is life. DEAL WITH IT and stop hating!
Also to the very thick person who is a amazed at how much a resort makes! do you know how much it costs to run a resort per day!
I am all thumbs up for Staff having their voices heard and having better faclitiies. But am sorry - most people on here are just jealous and envious bunch of morons!!
GET A LIFE AND ACCEPT HUMANS WILL NEVER BE EQUAL. example - even if 10 people are given the same start in life - some will do always better than others, maybe because they work hard, is more clever, have more luck ? who knows! THAT IS LIFE! answer is not to go accuse them of being evil and corrupt!
So ignorant you lot! Even if there is an answer to all your questions, even if there is truth, none of you are willing to listen! YOu have already made your mind up and that is to hate and blame others! You have no clue! Clueless!
agree... with the workers... they have been struggling for the company for years but they get nothing...NOTHING in that place... its not worth place to work at all.... if the director and owner knowing about this... im sure they all, the people who is cheating the staff will be fired soon..... get on en ove ur vision...!!!!! workers are not slave...!!!
maldives????? WHAT IS THE GOOD there??? they never know how to respect and appreciate to the workers, especialy foreigner workers... small country with the proud people and mostly doing harshment.... and this resort is the worst resort around the world... and why this should be happen???? for years the workers just could only silent in their fear, but remember the patience has limit in every inch human..... IT'S ASHAME....!!
@aamed.
If what you said was for SOME people who wrote rude comments about the rich or the koli family mostly, then i will agree with you most. Every management has its weakness. The Koli management's weakness was the deafness & the blindness they showed to the lives of the kurumba staff..long before they stood up. Much long before they saw and felt.
If we look at the Maldivians managed hotels or resorts, we can differentiate the management very well. most of the foreign managed companies prove amazingly good to work for while most of the Maldivian managed or owned resorts are the 1st and last impression a hotel school student would want to experience.
However, the flaws are not what makes the resort the worst place. It is the un-appreciative, discouraging and abusive nature of the management..Maldivians get easily sold to money...same as foreigner or any human to be more precise. Maldivians infact get sold more because we are hungry for more always.
Where i will disagree is about the rich in Male. the clans in Male'. From the time of those kings, to the time of presidency...from the time diesel and petrol was permitted to be sold on 'riya' dhonis till the speed boats and oil barges. there is a reason more than the hardwork,the luck or the coincidence for them to stay so...somewhere around, they have drunk the blood of their colleagues and frnds..
Tell me one family or those deluxe clans who have cleaned themselves of that sin. and I will agree to your all comments
It would have been helpful had this article mentioned what kind of salaries the average staff in that resort is paid, to compare with their income of 2 million USD every 3 days.
What a jumbo mumbo Hotel Chain this Universal is. The typical ancient Dhivehi origin, they have a mentality that is totally against human rights and workers rights. Universal believe that the staff are their garbage and think that they are supremacist and staff are on their welfare.
Now this Umar Manik guy is declaring the loss of millions and still seems that he does not realize that the Staff are his assets same as his property. He is losing without staff, and still treating the staff if they are his slaves. Now it is time, to put them out of business in the new Maldives. It may sound harsh but they are unfit for Hospitality Industry.
Wonder who were the strikers? Maldivians or Expats? I can tell blindfolded - it was Maldivians. The Maldivians the ones who have lost the ability to work and wanting something for nothing. Why the hell do you think resorts have to get majorities their workers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka - because those lazy bums are sitting around Male cafe all days doing zilch and girlgossip with their lavazaa! Got it?
@Babri Masjid
"WHY the hell do you think resorts have to get majorities their workers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka – because those lazy bums are sitting around Male cafe all days doing zilch and girlgossip with their lavazaa! GOT it?"
NO! NO! Why? Because Maaalidivians no longer identify "cowrie shells" and "peanuts" as legal tender!
And they can't fire and DEPORT Maldivians as and when they like it!
By the way, was that you GAPING into the camera when you were demolishing that centuries old mosque like a screwball?
You flailed and dissappeared like a bolt into the hole that you had just finished making in the dome! You were the only fatal casualty that occured on that site. How come you are commenting here when you were dead?
i think ur working to universal company how much they have payed to you...????????
Well Babri, not all Maldivians are lazy bums...not all sit in Male' cafes doing zilch and girlgossip with their lavazaa.
Its only the spoilt kids in Male' who does that because their parents provide for them even when they are 30.... all the poor island guys work in the resorts trying to earn money for the family while all Male' ppl are sipping their coffee away with the money they get from their rent.
@strikers, Heq, Maxed and the other crack pipes:
"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. "
i actually don't think you will get it:-)
you will get this dho:-)???
"If you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way." ~Homer Simpson,
heheheheh
Strike looks over and all settled. But none of the staff who are back in work is happy and do you expect them to show real hospitality to guests. Forget about it.
This will blow off from somewhere else soon unless at least one of the idiots in top 2 positions sent home. They never have a smile in their face towards staff. Do u expect us to smile at guests. noway.
We should not forget the world tourism in 3rd world countries are aimed to create jobs for local, in developing countries tourism creates better environment for staff and developed countries where local participation in entrepreneur through tourism is UNWTO aims. Maldives tourism has reached to remarkable stage intems of quality, friendly hospitality. We should not let Maldives to let down wards. Tourism owners should take lead in exercising moral and ethical as well social responsibility in managing tourism business. mind you tourism industry and tourists as business source knows european way of moving tourism industry. our tourism industry main markets are from Europe. Universal was and is total irresponsible been very first people who started this business in compare the other local owners. tourism law was dictated in the first year tourism industry as much deviation they can take as advantage from the law. mind you Universal owners are barbaric. they treat staff badly and they actually will fail in tourism in due time. I am surprised to see these comments supporting to the management. if I am allowed the universal resorts must be boycott to work as well boycott tourist and source market. Strikers you deserve praised comments. Those who commented on this site are ill and short sighted and not well informed.
so much for a peoples's sarukaru, amazing how these handful of mega rich get their way with Anni. I call for the release of these 19 workers immediately.
Good for you , strikers. The island of Kuruba never ever belong to Koli clan. it was Some body elses hard work and sweat, oh my god ! paying for taking some one elses island, lawfully the island belongs to Karankaa Rasheed, investment by Kerafa Naseem and family, and I rasheed, The first tourist was also broght by kerafa Naseem , Italian Kobin, Maldivians know the history! Repent for your sins now, more strikes to come your way!
i went kurumba last year on preparation of a function held in their hall. dinner was served in their canteen. worst food i ever eaten. even animals get better food. crappy food. it's a joke that the management doesn't know that they are serving their employees crappy food until the strike. May they don know cos they eat first class food in the restaurant (which is by the way prepared by staff)and they don give a damn about the staff. Treat humans like humans.