Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar is inviting the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Union to call him after having no luck reaching its executives for the past seven to eight days.

This all stemmed from ongoing negotiations between managers of the Grand Lucayan Resort and the government over voluntary separation packages.

Minister D’Aguilar called the entire situation alarming,  considering the recent productive meeting. Since then, he said, things have gone quiet.

“I keep calling their phones and they don’t respond to me.  I don’t know what’s going on,  so it’s very interesting, I can tell all the people in Grand Bahamas, the managers that there representatives are not speaking to me as the Minister and I had a very cordial meeting with them. 

“When we left that meeting, they were to get some information back to me and I called them on the phone even today and no response from anyone.” 

He added, “ I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what strategy they’re pulling,  but I’m an open and transparent guy, ready to talk and I want the people in Freeport to know that I am doing my endeavour best to get the matter settled and their representatives for whatever reason haven’t gotten back to me and don’t know why.” 

A few weeks back members of the union took the matter to court as they were still not pleased with payouts for the managers. 

This came  after the line staff at the hotel had already reached an agreement on their settlement.  

Bahamas Hotel Managerial Union President Obie Ferguson said that was the Hotel Corporation Chairman was attempting to give the workers were unrealistic and unlawful. 

Amidst the ongoing tension surrounding the VSEPS, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis  in January asserted that the government intends to follow the law  it relates to the VSEP packages. 

Minister D’Aguilar stepped into the negotiating process after union members were reportedly  at odds  with Hotel Corporation Chairman, Michael Scott having made a “take it or leave it” offer to the workers.