OCHO RIOS, St Ann – Ruddy Spencer, president-general of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union and the Opposition’s labour spokesman, yesterday called for a thorough investigation into the dispute over gratuity payments which led to a strike yesterday at the Gran Bahia Principe Hotel in St Ann.

In a letter to Labour Minister Derrick Kellier, Spencer said the fact that the workers have no union representation placed a burden on the ministry to ensure that their rights are protected, and that their employers observe local industrial relations standards.

The employees stopped working Thursday to protest the non-payment of gratuity by the hotel since it officially opened in January this year.

The protest threatened to turn ugly at one stage as the police used teargas to disperse persons who tried to block the entrance to the hotel.

Some guests at the hotel spoke out in defence of the workers, scolding the management for being “unfair” to the workers.

After the teargassing, the police maintained a strong presence at the entrance to the hotel.

The employees later agreed to resume work after the intervention of opposition spokesman on tourism Edmund Bartlett and member of parliament for North-East St Ann Shahine Robinson.

Garth Ferra, Bahia’s operations manager for the Caribbean, told the workers that they would receive the gratuity payment no later than June 15, retroactive to January 20, the official opening date of the hotel.