To meet with union this morning
PHILIPSBURG--A heated confrontation unfolded at Pelican Resort on Saturday, when a large number of placard-bearing workers and security officers faced off at the entrance of the resort's lobby.
The workers had been demonstrating to make a case that they were still firm in their bid to be recognised as permanent workers of the new company. They bore placards and had been chanting.
Tempers flared when they marched down to the lobby area and were blocked from entering the lobby by a group of Sheriff Security officers who formed a human barricade at the entrance.
There was some pushing and shoving between the workers and the security officers who had been called in by the resort. The tense situation lasted a few minutes and no one was hurt.
The situation calmed down and workers retreated on advice of Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) President Theophilus Thompson.
When The Daily Herald arrived on the scene late Saturday morning, most of the workers had left, but there was still a heavy presence of security officers in and outside Pelican's lobby.
Director of the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV Jules James, a United People's (UP) party Parliamentarian was on site. He was on the phone for most of the time.
Attorney Maarten le Poole said on Sunday that the incident had been peaceful and there had been no obstruction of guests or business during the incident. He said "there was a little scuffling and a little pushing," which he said "didn't amount to much... There was no interruption of business. The workers went into the lobby and later went out. It was very peaceful."
Pelican was concerned about business interruption.
The workers who remained on the scene showed this newspaper some of the placards they had been using in their protest action earlier. Some of them read: "Management has no heart;" "No short term contract;" "Permanent, Yes!" "We served you with pride;" "The guests love us" and "Outsource, no."
Meanwhile, The Daily Herald understands that a handful of the workers have buckled and signed short-term contracts with management. This could not be confirmed up to late Sunday.
Speaking on "For the Record" on 99.9FM on Sunday, WIFOL President Theophilus Thompson said all the Pelican workers will be meeting at 9:00am this morning to determine their next course of action. They will be joining teachers and civil servants who will be meeting with their unions at L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium at 7:30am today in what the unions hope will be a massive meeting of workers. Thompson also confirmed that a court injunction was filed by the union's attorney on Friday.
Thompson told host Eddy Williams that outsourcing of work is contrary to International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and is also against St. Maarten's labour regulations.
Thompson maintained that the workers are permanent employees of the new management company, as they had been paid and been receiving instructions from the new company since December, when Pelican was bought by its lender at an auction.
He said Pelican was not recognising the rights of the workers as other businesses in similar situations had done in the past. He said Diamond Resort had taken over Flamingo and Royal Palm and the transition of workers had been smooth. There was also a smooth transition when Oyster Bay was taken over by new owners. In the latter two cases, he said the workers' rights were recognised by the new owners, which he said was not the case with Pelican.
