Three senior staff at Palm Beach Resort in Lhaviyani Atoll have been dismissed after 50 staff staged a strike over alleged discriminatory polices at the resort.
According to a staff member on strike at Palm Beach, 50 housekeeping and food and beverage personnel at the resort stopped work at 10:00pm on Tuesday night following a public dispute between General Manager Fabrizio Dani and Restaurant Manager Ali Ashraf.
“We are calling for the removal of general manager from the resort also calling for an end to discriminatory policies between the European and Maldivian staff here,” Ahmed Abdulla told Minivan News.
He claimed the Maldivian staff were fed poor quality food compared to their European colleagues and said the management had failed to provide adequate arrangements for breakfast during Ramadan.
“We were not even given dates to break our fasts,” he said. “We will continue with our strike until demands are met.”
There have been no negotiations between the workers on strike and the management yet, Abdulla said.
In addition to Ashraf, Assistant Manager Ilyas Ibrahim and Supervisor Abdulla Mohamed were dismissed last night. The three have now left the resort.
Speaking to Minivan News, Ashraf said his dismissal had been “unfair.” He alleged the management of Palm Beach resort employed Russians, Italians, and Bangladeshi workers without work visas.
He also claimed the resort’s management had failed to sign employment contracts with the staff and were not paid for overtime work.
Minivan News was unable to contact either Fabrizio Dani or Palm Beach Resort despite repeated attempts.
In March, 18 members of staff at Vilu Reef Resort were fired after a petition detailing grievances. Workers at Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) also staged a strike in the same month over low quality of food and cuts to annual bonus pay outs.
Maldivian staff at One and Only Reethi Rah also held a strike in January over alleged ill-treatment by the management.
In a similar case in September 2013, staff at Irufushi Beach and Spa resort reported a “firing spree” affecting staff members professing to support the Maldivian Democratic Party.
According to the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act 2013, tourist resorts, ports, and airports fall into a category of places in which protests are prohibited.
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