{"id":4579,"date":"2017-07-21T17:58:55","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T21:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=4579"},"modified":"2017-07-23T17:34:25","modified_gmt":"2017-07-23T17:34:25","slug":"sandals-denies-its-closure-announcement-was-sudden-and-seeks-to-clarify-recent-statements-by-tourism-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/sandals-denies-its-closure-announcement-was-sudden-and-seeks-to-clarify-recent-statements-by-tourism-minister\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandals denies its closure announcement was sudden and seeks to clarify recent statements by tourism minister"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(PRESS RELEASE)<\/p>

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Statement by The Honourable Asot Michael, Minister of Tourism of Antigua and Barbuda on discussions held on Wednesday 19 July 2017 with senior representatives of Sandals Resort International and subsequent clarification by Sandals Resorts.<\/p>\n

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Minister:
\n1. Yesterday, Wednesday, 19 July, members of the Cabinet met senior representatives of Sandals Resort International to discuss the proposed closure of the Sandals Resort in Antigua for five months.<\/p>

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At the conclusion of the discussion, the Sandals representatives recognized the government\u2019s resolve that the Resort will not be closed for five months.<\/p>

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Instead, the representatives gave the undertaking that the period of closure for what the representatives described as \u2018urgent repairs, would be reduced, taking account of the government\u2019s insistence on three months or less.<\/p>\n

Unlike the statement made in a letter of today\u2019s date the undertaking given to the government was not unclear; it was specific and pellucid.<\/p>

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Sandals:
\nThe Sandals Team had a meeting with the Antiguan Cabinet on July19th upon their request.\u00a0 Our Team made it clear that the scope of works identified in the original plan would take five (5) months based on the estimate provided to the Sandals\u2019 Board by its Project Department.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Sandals Team undertook to Cabinet to engage with its Project Department to see how the period could be reduced.\u00a0 At no time did the Sandals Team agree with Cabinet to reduce the period to three (3)months \u2013 the Team did not have that power and could not have done so without consultation with the Project Department and approval of the Board.\u00a0 Indeed, toward the end of the meeting and after the team had made a detailed Power Point Presentation to Cabinet showing the extensive work to be done, the Prime Minister himself eventually asked if we could have the hotel opened in January and said he would be happy with that.<\/strong><\/p>

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Minister:
\n2. We note that, in a letter to the General Secretary of the Antigua Workers Union (AWU), the Manager of Sandals Grande Antigua, committed only \u201cto make every effort to reduce the period of repairs to three months\u201d.<\/p>\n

The government will hold the Resort\u2019s owners and managers to the undertaking on which the government insisted yesterday in the Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n

We expect that, in the interest, of the workers, the AWU will join the government\u2019s determination in ensuring that the period of three months or less is fully respected.<\/p>\n

Sandals:
\nThe ABWU had written to the Board of Directors a letter dated Tuesday July 18th<\/sup>, the day before the Cabinet meeting, in which they specifically requested that Sandals consider reducing the time frame, among other matters. This letter was acknowledged in writing by a letter on the same date, confirming that the board was assessing the AWU\u2019s demand on the 18th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

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Upon receipt if the Union\u2019s letter the Board engaged in extensive discussions with the Project Department to discuss some of the proposal made by the Union and the decision which emerged from those discussions, which were later ratified by key Board members, is that some aspects of the maintenance work would be rescheduled and staggered over a period of time in an effort to reduce the actual closure period to three (3) months.\u00a0 Let us be clear – our Project Department agreed to try and work with the three (3) month closure period on the assumption – <\/strong><\/p>\n

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