A number of former Sandals Royal Bahamian employees are outraged and are crying neglect and misuse, even more so from the fact that the government has not yet responded to their adjuration.

It is outrageous they [the employees] say, that a company that has received a countless amount of awards because of the service their employees have provided at times in the face of problems would operate this way.

Included in that list were occurrences like staff shortages, no overtime pay, disparaging remarks and alleged victimization.

“What are you leaders, what is our government telling the other investors? Are we being treated like second class citizens in our country?” one employee said.

“Everything is so quiet. You can’t get “Butch” Stewart to the table and that’s just one man, it shows me as a citizen of the Bahamas that the government has chosen the side of an investor and not the side of its people.”

“It’s my right to return to Sandals but will they give me the equal opportunity that I need to return there without feeling in fear of my job. Can I go there with the mindset that every day will not be my last day? Can I go there as a citizen of The Bahamas knowing that my government will stand up for me when my rights are broken, when I’m talked to in a bad manner, managers cursing at you , demeaning you? I have a right as a citizen of this country to sit quietly and endure this?” said another employee.

“These are the reasons that the Sandal’s union was fighting. The union is each and every person who is signed up not just the five to 10 persons on the board you saw speaking. The union is the people so when we have representatives of our government telling the union to “carry your you know what” you’re saying that to Bahamians.”

The workers phoned into Love 97’s Daily Talkshow “Issues of the Day” and were also supported by other concerned Bahamians who likewise feel the entire situation grew out of the country’s leaders’ failure to stand up.

“Sandal’s what have done what they did only because they were given whistles and signals that say there are no consequences,” a caller said

“If Sandal’s feared the government of The Bahamas they would have not done what they did The constitution of The Bahamas protects exploitation , it protects us from what Sandals did and if the government Of The Bahamas is not going to fall on the constitution protect the Bahamian people they might as well throw out the constitution.”

Veteran Trade Unionist Thomas Bastian has called for the appointment of a commission to look into this debacle.

Sandals let 600 employees go on last Monday for extensive renovations and plan to reopen in mid-October.