One day after a union requested approval for a strike vote at the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport, 55 employees were laid off, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson claimed yesterday.
Ferguson said while there were warnings, the workers were "shocked" that they were dismissed so soon.
Ferguson is the attorney for the Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers, which represents the workers.
He said the union filed a trade dispute with the Department of Labour in hopes that resort owners would hold off on any action.
Ferguson said if there is a favorable response to the strike vote, the union would call a strike "shortly after to ensure that these people's jobs are secured".
"It's not only them," Ferguson said. "There are other jobs that are still at stake."
Director of Labour Robert Farquharson confirmed that resort managers met with representatives of the Ministry of Labour and National Insurance recently to advise of the pending layoffs.
"As outlined in the code of industrial practice, whenever an employer makes anyone redundant he has to advise the minister," Farquharson said.
"We were told that some employees from security and laundry departments were to be made redundant.
"We were also advised that the company would no longer offer those services and that those services would be outsourced.
"We were told that the new outsourcing company would contract these employees. The company will absorb some of the workers.
"So tomorrow they will still be doing the same job, but would be doing it under a different company."
Farquharson said all workers who were laid off should be given redundancy packages.
He said the resort decided to lay off the workers to cut costs.
Ferguson, however, said he does not agree with the move because those affected workers will lose all benefits.
He said the union has the option of going to court to seek reinstatement. However, for now, he said it will call industrial action.
Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe told The Nassau Guardian on Sunday that he is concerned about the job losses.
Resort officials had no comment on the matter yesterday.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian