Former Sandals workers sit exam, reapply for jobs

Wed, Aug 31st 2016, 10:00 AM


Former employees of Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort at a job fair at Christ the King Anglican Church in Ridgeland Park yesterday. (Photo: Torrell Glinton)


Latoysa Walkes worked at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort for 18 years before she was sent home a week ago as part of a mass redundancy exercise officials said was necessary as the Cable Beach property embarked on crucially needed renovations.

Walkes had worked her way up from a kitchen helper, to a waitress, to a hostess.

The mother of two young boys was among dozens of former Sandals employees who reapplied for their jobs on day one of a job fair at Christ the King Anglican Church in Ridgeland Park yesterday.

"I was off the island when everything took place, but it was sad," Walkes said.

"Now... I [feel] more positive.

"I thanked God for blessing me with the job for 18 years.

"Though it came to an end, I'm looking at it [from] a positive side.

"I want to encourage other team members to look at it as a positive thing.

"I feel like I'm one of the best employees they had."I'm going to give it a shot and I'm going to do my best.

"With taking care of my kids, I really need a job at this time so I'm going to do my best."

Arizona Rolle, who worked for Sandals for nearly 19 years, also reapplied for her job yesterday.

Rolle said her trust is in God and not man.

Her faith is keeping her grounded, she said.

"Today, I decided to reapply for my job at Sandals," said Rolle, who was a dining room supervisor.

"I'm feeling good about it.

"I'm taking a risk at this time.

"I'm feeling that if they call me back, I'm ready and if they don't, I can move further on because my source is in God.

"I don't put my trust or source in man; my source is God.

"I am ready for what is about to take place for me.

"Persons may [still] be angry about it, but it's nothing I can do. God controls everything so let his will be done."

Former employees said that after handing in their resumes, they had to sit an exam consisting of "basic knowledge" questions before sitting through a formal interview.

The temporary closure of Sandals and the loss of 600-plus jobs came amid ongoing tensions between the union and management.

On Friday, Minister of Labour Shane Gibson said it is "very suspicious" of Sandals to host a job fair after making workers redundant.

"Sandals said to the public and to us that it had no choice and said their lawyers advised them the only way to deal with employees was to terminate them, giving the impression that if they did not have to terminate them, they wouldn't, " Gibson told The Nassau Guardian.

"Well, if they didn't have a choice and they terminated them, why would they then turn around to these good employees and say reapply for your job?

"Why not just bring back the employees?

"I was trying to be as open and as objective as I could about this.

"But the more and more you look at this, it does not look right."

The fair continues until Thursday.

Jayme C. Pinder, Guardian Staff Reporter

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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