Holiday Inn employees whose jobs were made redundant protesting outside the hotel yesterday. (Photo: Horace Hines)

ROSE HALL, St James - More than 60 unionised workers of the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort yesterday demonstrated in front of the property after they were denied entry when they turned up for work. They later learnt that their jobs were made redundant.

According to Clive Dobson, president emeritus of the National Workers Union (NWU), he only received a letter with notice of the redundancy, which became effective yesterday morning, during a meeting the afternoon before with the hotel's management.

"(On Thursday afternoon) when we went for a meeting on another matter, I was given a letter by the company stating that today (yesterday) more than 60 workers will be made redundant and the process will be finalised on May 31," Dobson told the Observer yesterday.

Dobson said the Holiday Inn had promised to have discussions with the union about the job cuts and redundancy payments after he got information that the hotel's operations would be changing hands to the operators of the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa, formerly Seawind Beach Hotel.

Dobson, who claimed he had information that the new operators would not take over until January 2009, said the current management was in breach of the Redundancy and Termination Payment Act.

Yesterday, as the placard-bearing demonstrators massed outside both entrances of the facility in protest, some guests staying at the hotel were left stranded as tour operators were unable to gain entry to pick them up.

They ended the protest after Dobson instructed them to await the outcome of a meeting set for next Tuesday at the Ministry of Labour in Kingston between the Minister of Labour Pearnel Charles, the NWU and the management of Holiday Inn.

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