“We won’t stand idly by on this,” union warns
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Darrin Woods last night asserted that the Atlantis resort was acting unlawfully by requiring unvaccinated employees to cover the cost of their weekly COVID-19 tests.
The Atlantis resort announced yesterday that it will require all of its unvaccinated employees to pay for their own weekly rapid antigen test effective tomorrow — Friday, October 1.
Woods told Eyewitness News: “This is major. This is a big deal. You’re asking employees to pay $16 at this time when it’s a slow period. This is important to the workers of this country.
“The Health and Safety Act, Section 9, says that this is not something that can be passed onto the employees. So, what we are contending is that what Atlantis is doing is unlawful.”
According to Woods, the union had been seeking resolution on the issue for some time, as the resort had planned to implement the requirement on September 1 but subsequently delayed it to October.
Woods said he has been seeking ministerial intervention and the intervention of the Labour Department.
“This is a big deal and we will not stand idly by on this,” he cautioned.
Resort President and Managing Director Audrey Oswell said in a letter to employees yesterday that it will join other local companies that require employees who are not vaccinated to cover the cost of their weekly rapid antigen test.
Oswell noted that since July, the resort had indicated it would not pay the cost of testing indefinitely and will also not continue to encourage testing as an alternative to vaccination.
“We have secured a highly discounted rate of $16.50 a week for unvaccinated team members to receive this test,” said Oswell.
She noted: “We have done everything we can to protect our health and safety in the workplace during this difficult period.
“We have also taken every step possible to foster an environment where our guests feel confident and comfortable returning to Atlantis and The Bahamas. Travel and tourism are our livelihood and serve as the foundation for the Bahamian economy.”
Oswell expressed gratitude to those employees who have gotten vaccinated, stating that they were not only protecting themselves but also their colleagues, family members, the resort’s guests and the community from COVID-19.
“Shared responsibility means we all take responsibility for one another, Atlantis and the country we call home,” said Oswell.
“The issue is more significant than any one individual or Atlantis — it impacts our family, friends, neighbors and the industry.
“Atlantis is proud to join with a growing number of Bahamas-based and international companies in taking the same approach in putting the community’s health and the economy first.”
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