Coco Reef staff, management meeting 'waste of time'

A waste of time.

This was how a source at Coco Reef, Tobago, described a meeting on Friday between staff and management to thrash out concerns about job security and other issues at the Crown Point resort.

The meeting came eight days after Coco Reef owner and chairman John Jefferis issued a release saying the resort would be temporarily shut down. He did not give dates.

But the source told Newsday the resort is expected to close from Monday and may reopen in mid-November, depending on several factors, including tourist arrivals and the rate of covid19 infections on the island.

He said Coco Reef’s resort director Lyle Pauls met virtually with workers from various departments, including housekeeping, guest services, accounts and maintenance.

But the source said workers were not pleased with the outcome, as many of their concerns about job security, severance payments and other issues were not addressed.

“They are not pleased, but what can they do?” he asked.

“Some of them said it was a waste of time, because there were people who would have travelled from quite in the country (east Tobago) to come down here, and none of our questions were really answered to our satisfaction.”

For instance, he noted the company had said in its August 5 release that “all associates had remained employed during the past 18 months.

“But that is incorrect. If that is the case, the company owes us vacation for a year and a half. Those issues were not ironed out. So we are just waiting to see what happens.”

In the release, Jefferis said the current levels of staffing and employment at the resort could not continue as they have done during the covid19 pandemic.

He said Coco Reef’s reopening would be planned "as travel resumes, as vaccinations increase and as new hospitality initiatives and protocols are embraced and implemented."