The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) has written to the Labour Minister Horace Dalley seeking his personal intervention into a dispute between the union and the RIU Tropical Bay resort.

The union has accused the resort of “union busting” tactics against members of staff who are seeking union representation.

The union says that the intimidation of the workers is occurring in the midst of the processing of its representation rights claim on behalf of the workers at the Ministry of Labour.

RIU officials could not be contacted for comment over the weekend.

BITU senior negotiating officer Wesley Nelson visited the Spanish-owned hotel last Monday and spoke to the workers.

He told the Observer that the workers were unhappy with the situation and wanted to take industrial action, but that the union had asked them to remain on the job pending the intervention of the minister.

He said that the BITU would wish to have the matter resolved without any serious dislocation at the hotel, in light of the importance of tourism to the economy. However, he added that the union also had an obligation to the workers.

Over 300 workers at the 400-room hotel in Negril are seeking to be represented by the BITU.