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An aerial shot of Treasure Island Resort before the devastating Cyclone Evan scored a near direct hit. The resort sustained substantial damages causing the resort to close and as a result lay off staff. Photo: TOURISM FIJI
By JYOTI PRATIBHA
The 73 staff of Treasure Island Resort who were laid off after Cyclone Evan received a redundancy package of more than $180,000.
Resort general manager Scott Walton said the payout had been covered by insurance.
Mr Walton said after the redundancy, they had sought advice from the Labour ministry regarding the legal procedure.
“We were informed that we were legally required to give a redundancy package.”
Labour Minister Jone Usamate came to know of the redundancy after the Labour Ministry roadshow that the ministry had undertaken in the Western Division.
Some of the 73 staff had lodged complaints after being made redundant.
Following further investigation and inspection of workplaces carried out by the ministry’s Complaints and Resolution Team (CRT) and the District Offices, the Ministry assisted the employees to receive their payout.
The employees received $185,339.92 in arrears for the wages of 73 employees.
Apart from the Treasure Island, another resort of the group- Bounty Island Resort was also shut for renovation following the cyclone.
Mr Walton said the Tokatoka Nakelo owned part of the Treasure Island Resort.
He said despite giving a redundancy package to the employees, the 73 employees would be rehired once the Resort opens.
The resort is said to reopen on 1 December.
Rehiring confirmation
“Many of the employees who were let go were from Nakelo. A few months before the opening, we will be getting in touch with the employees and rehire them.
He clarified that those employees who were not from Nakelo, but were laid off, would also be rehired.
“Those employees are very valuable to us and we would certainly be rehiring them,” Mr Walton said.
Eminoni Labalaba, a resident of Rukua, Beqa thanked the Minister for looking after workers needs. He stated that social justice has prevailed after the Ministry followed up the payment of his redundancy package.
