ST JAMES, Jamaica— Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett is on Monday continuing talks, started on Sunday, with the “entire ownership structure” of the country’s tourism industry.

“We do recognise that there are 196 entities that employ workers in the tourism industry, each having their own system of management, cost arrangements and… employment contractor arrangement. We have to work it through and we have to work it through together,” the tourism minister said.

He was speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a reception ceremony for the inaugural Bahamasair flight at the Sangster International Airport on Sunday.

“We have all determined that every single entity must meet with their staff and have discussions with regard to any issue that is now a pain and so we urge that that happens and also that we bring a level of normalcy back to our operation but more importantly that we recognise that solutions are not had when we are poles apart. They are only had when we are together,” the tourism minister added.

Early Monday morning, workers at Excellence Oyster Bay in Trelawny took to the streets to demand increased wages, including overtime pay; additional staff buses and more uniforms from employers. It is the fourth protest in the past week.

Last Friday, workers at Iberostar in Rose Hall, St James, carried out protest action outside the hotel’s property. This followed similar actions by workers who complained and walked off the job at Royalton Negril on October 21. The general manager was subsequently suspended in the immediate aftermath and workers’ complaints about low wages and being overworked were addressed. On November 12, staff at Secrets and Breathless resorts staged a protest in Freeport, Montego Bay, complaining of similar issues and a worsening of relations since the properties changed hands.

On Sunday, Bartlett gave an assurance that the tourism ministry will ensure that “the commitments that we are getting from our employers to have these consultations are met and that the solutions are found”.

During a telephone conversation with Observer Online last Friday, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Robin Russell expressed deep concern over the recent protests.

“The JHTA is in full support of workers addressing whatever issues they are having but we are also concerned with the way that the action is being taken. I think the action can really hurt our industry at that time when the industry is just coming back from the travel advisory and the hurricane issue. So I’m just very cautious that this doesn’t further hurt our industry. But I do understand that there are issues that the staff is facing,” Russell said.

“It is imperative that the management listen to the staff. I think the communication lines need to be open, and I am encouraging both management and staff, before industrial action is taken, that both sit at the table and come to some resolution. Based on how quickly some of the issues were resolved, we know that the issues could have been resolved before strike action,” he added.

In a release last week, the JHTA announced that Russell will head a working committee to take a look at the challenges facing the tourism sector.