By Tracey Khan – Drakes
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Tower Hotel remains closed despite management’s promise to reopen the Hotel yesterday, Monday June 2. Workers have only received a fraction of their salaries and a new date has been set for the remainder to be paid.
Workers were told that they will be paid their outstanding salaries by the end of this week. iNews understands that the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) is yet to reconnect power to the building, which is one of the reasons for the continued closure.
Some twenty-one workers turned out to work yesterday; however, they only assisted with the cleaning of the building.
During a meeting last week between the Hotel’s management and the Clerical Commercial Workers Union (CCWU), it was agreed that outstanding payment totaling $2.6 million for some 47 employees would be paid yesterday. Each of the 21 workers only received $9,500 thus far.
The Hotel’s management also told the workers that they were partnering with an investor to bring the hotel back to standards. That unknown investor bid some $US10 million, whichis to be used to reconnect the hotel’s power supply, pay staff and upgrade the hotel.
While some workers opted to return to work, some settled for their severance package and a new start. Over 80 workers protest non-payment of salaries by the Hotel last week, after the management shut its doors on the workers without proper consultations.
