NASSAU, Bahamas — A Cabinet minister has voiced pride at “really shaking up” the Ministry of Tourism’s workforce after discovering that the nine percent aged under 30 accounted for nine out of 10 resignations, The Tribune’s Business Editor Neil Hartnell reported on February 10.
Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that a manpower audit of the ministry’s staff had proven “very revealing” as he denied claims that 14 employees had recently been laid-off or terminated.
Responding to a social media “voice note” being circulated by Fred Mitchell, the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) chairman, Mr D’Aguilar said the Ministry of Tourism does not lay-off or terminate any worker. Rather, because all are contract workers, they are subject to regular performance reviews with the possibility that their contracts may not be renewed.
The minister said only five persons had been impacted by this process recently, as he hit out at the former Christie administration for creating a bloated workforce by expanding the Ministry of Tourism’s staff from 250 to around 400 — with numerous hires coming “days before” the May 10, 2017, general election.
Mr D’Aguilar said the manpower audit, conducted after the Minnis administration took office, had exposed how numerous employees had become “disenchanted and disaffected”, with the progress of younger employees stifled by recruitment policies that left older ones in their post despite tourism’s ever-increasing dependence on rapidly changing technology.
“Fred Mitchell has gotten the wrong source,” Mr D’Aguilar blasted. “The Ministry of Tourism has not laid off anybody. The Ministry of Tourism does not lay anybody off. It evaluates each employee on his or her merits, and determines whether or not to renew their contracts.
“Tourism is a critical component of our economy, and it’s important to have the best team possible on its game every single day. That’s why the Ministry of Tourism was one of the few ministries, when it was set up, that determined all staff would be employed on a contractual basis.
“There are a number of people who, for whatever reason, don’t in the minds of the Ministry warrant a renewal of the contract. That’s almost normal and I had nothing to do with it. We have 400 employees. And it wasn’t 14. It was five. Minimal. It’s going to happen every year in the normal course of business.” See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/feb/10/ministers-pride-tourism-shake-/
