However the general manager of the hotel, Bupin Awasthi, said that the outcome of their meeting with BDC next week would determine their next move. “Nothing has been finalised yet, but we might have to move some employees to other departments,” Awasthi said and declined to answer any further questions.
According to a GH employee, who preferred anonymity, SMB Investments - who took over from BDC, instituted a number of changes after their take-over.
She explained that within a few days of taking over, the new management cut - among other things - the bathing of employees at work, their meals and transportation benefits, citing that they (management) did not have enough funds.
She added that about 12 employees are destined for retrenchment, without benefits despite an intervention by the workers union that they should be compensated a minimum of P50 000.
The employee also added that this week about four employees who were on probation were retrenched and paid only a monthly wage.
The source said that some employees are being forced to resign, which would lead to them not being given retrenchment packages.
She added that they usually receive their monthly wages on the 25th of every month but they do not know if they will get paid their full wages this month, amid rumours of salary cuts.
“We were supposed to get paid today (Wednesday) but payday has been postponed to August 31, and we do not know if we are going to be paid our full wages as we heard that there might be cuts in our wages,” she said.
Chairman of Hotel and Tourism Worker’s Union, Kebabonye Kgositlou said recently that they were not happy with the new management’s plans to retrench the 12 employees.
He complained that employees were not given enough time to prepare for retrenchment, adding that being given up to August 25 to make a decision about their future, was unfair.
He confirmed that retrenchments were imminent, adding that in a meeting with the new management, the union proposed that the retrenched employees must be compensated a minimum of P50 000 that would cover, among other things, counselling and their relocation.
