Caribbean hotel workers’ earnings have significantly eroded since the 1980s, despite union representation and tourism’s dominance in the region’s economy. This situation underscores the industry’s failure to fairly distribute wealth, sparking new negotiations for higher wages. A recent report on social sustainability highlights the critical need for stakeholder involvement to address these poor labour conditions, threatening the sector’s sustainability and recruitment efforts.
Workers in Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism and hospitality sectors face financial challenges despite having union rights. David Massiah, the general secretary of the Antigua & Barbuda Workers’ Union, highlights how low wages persist even with these rights in place. The economy of Antigua and Barbuda is heavily reliant on tourism, with a staggering 93% of its GDP projected to be contributed by this sector, according to the latest World Travel & Tourism Council report.
In light of these economic dependencies, Massiah points out that hotel workers, although represented by unions, earn too little to secure mortgages, marking a stark contrast to the earning power they enjoyed in the 1980s. He stresses the necessity of equitable wealth distribution in tourism so that the workers can receive a fair share of the industry’s profits. Despite hotel employers receiving government concessions, the wages remain insufficient.
The union is currently engaged in new negotiations with hotel associations, aiming for substantial wage increases. Massiah mentions that hotel associations often claim inability to meet wage demands due to high operational costs. However, he insists that it’s imperative for all stakeholders, including trade unions, to have a say in decisions affecting the industry’s workforce.
A recently released report on ‘Why the S in ESG Matters’, backed by research from Dr. Anke Winchenbach of the University of Surrey, reinforces these issues. It underlines how problematic labour conditions hinder the push for sustainability within the tourism sector and exacerbate recruitment challenges. The report calls for actions to improve social sustainability frameworks, based on input from various industry stakeholders, including trade unions and investors.
Addressing the labour challenges in Caribbean tourism is crucial to ensuring fair wealth distribution and improving sustainability in the industry.
