To: The OECS, CARICOM, Government of Saint Lucia, media and the general public.
From: Everyone who signs this petition
Date: June 7th, 2020

Subject: Solidarity for the BLM movement & reform for hospitality workers in the Caribbean nations.

 

Greetings all,

It is stated that “tourism is Saint Lucia's main source of jobs and income - accounting for 65% of GDP - and its main source of foreign exchange (CIA, 2019). Considering this, it is clear that the nation’s most important resource is its people - especially those who work in the industry that keeps their economy afloat. This is also the case for many other OECS/CARICOM states. Yet too many hospitality employees are barely making ends meet, rarely have a sense of job security, feel dispensable by their employers and unprotected by their governments. As the United States fights for an end to the disproportionate mistreatment of Afro-Americans, our nations must fight against the similar treatment of our locals by tourists, expatriates and hospitality investors! The Caribbean has lost one of our own, Saint Lucian national Botham Jean to the very injustices the global BLM movement fights against. Signing this petition means that you support legislation that will protect the Caribbean's most valuable resource: its people!

 

As a 25-year-old citizen of Guyana and resident of Saint Lucia, I am presenting a proposal for a petition to be circulated among the OECS/CARICOM member states and internationally. In recent weeks the Black Lives Matter (“BLM”) movement has spread across the globe, yet disappointingly has not reached the Caribbean region. I believe that the Caribbean stands to benefit enormously by adopting the principles of the BLM movement because we are not exempt.

I am a former staff member of a Sandals hotel in Saint Lucia where I witnessed and experienced exploitation; I’m sure many of you current or former hospitality workers have had similar experiences.  Locals working in the hospitality industry often express a sense of unease in that they are (i) constantly reminded, directly or indirectly, that they are less important than executives or guests; (ii) unheard when requesting basic respect and the recognition of their rights.  In illustration of each aforementioned point, I was personally groped by a guest and, like many peers in the industry, I did not report the assault, knowing my employers would protect the guest before their employee.

Physical violation is unacceptable, and emotional abuse is as well. I was not so long ago engaged in an online skirmish with a young woman who frequents the island of Saint Lucia and who referred to me as racial slurs and expressed disdain for people of the island. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon perspective among tourists in the Caribbean.  

The two aforementioned scenarios exhibit the personal cost of exploitation within the Caribbean region, especially to those in states that depend heavily on tourism.  That cost is why we must join the global BLM movement.   Tourists can be wonderful, there are genuinely good people all over the world and I’ll be the first to welcome them.  Unfortunately, there are also many tourists who act like they are allowed to check the concept of equality at the arrival gates and retrieve it on their way back home. We need to make it explicitly clear that this is not the case and that the Caribbean, while a paradise, is a paradise that belongs to the natives of these states deserving of respective governments that protect their rights. Just as Caribbean nationals face scrutiny when visiting the first world countries we travel to (and where we are often subject to profiling), we must also vet those who come to our nations to prevent racists and bigots from stepping on our shores!

This does not need to require a rigorous bureaucratic system like the visa process, instead, these countries need to make a statement that will be heard loud and clear by all foreign nationals. Below is the suggested measures that the OECS/CARICOM member states take:

• Paint the roads near each airpost and perhaps at the three most trafficked tourist attractions with the text: “BLACK LIVES MATTER” & “LOCAL LIVES MATTER” & “RESPECT LOCAL PEOPLE”. These must be able to be read as the planes arrive in our nations.
• Portray airport billboards at all airports which read “[Country Name] STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AS OUR LOCALS’ LIVES DO MATTER. ENJOY OUR PARADISE AND RESPECT OUR PEOPLE”.
• Place the above text on their government and tourism websites and social media.

These may seem simple, but I guarantee you they would be profound! Recently Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed that since the Amazon website expressed support for the global Black Lives Matter movement, he received emails from customers who disagreed with the company’s stance, to whom he responded by making it clear that Amazon’s position would not change because of the importance of the global movement (Kim, 2020). What does this mean? Are persons who are against the movement no longer going to use his website? Perhaps, yes.

 

Like Amazon, the Caribbean offers something highly coveted and unique. Does this mean that countries who stand in solidarity with the movement and proclaim that the lives of their citizens matter risk the loss of prospective tourists? Do the hotels who follow suit risk the loss of guests? Perhaps, yes. However, these are the people that should not be welcomed in our often predominantly black OECS/CARICOM nations!

 

Protests are wonderful, however are only successful if they lead to the necessary reform! The following are the suggested measures that could be taken by the OECS/CARICOM member states to show their respect for the rights of their most important resource:

 

• It must be made mandatory that each hotel and other hospitality establishments explicitly expresses a zero-tolerance for racism at their establishments. This could be done by including this in the orientation most hotels host for their guests upon arrival, emphasizing the “BLACK LIVES MATTER” messaging from their websites and detailing the hotel’s policies concerning guest interactions with staff.

• There must be a strict prohibition of abuse or harassment to any hospitality worker, whether physical or otherwise by any guest/client or establishment executive. As far as I am aware, there are already policies of the sort that are only implemented among lower-level staff, it needs to extend to everyone! Each establishment must include this in their policies.

• There should be an independent force/team created that will be responsible for investigating reports made by hospitality workers related to any form of abuse, harassment or exploitation, as well conducting regular reviews of human resources at these establishments to ensure that all policies are being adequately upheld. These force/team may be on the payroll of the government, establishment or industry association, allowing them to enforce each business’ commitment toward upholding a standard that respects the human resources of our nations. There may also be one government and hotel representative on the force/team. For any staff member unable to read/write, a representative will be provided at no cost to articulate their case for presentation to this group.

• According to Walker (2018), hotels and restaurants produce 79,000 and 199,100 tonnes of food waste each year. As a former employee of Sandals, Royalton and the Doolittle’s Restaurant in Saint Lucia, I have witnessed the abhorrent wastage of food first hand. The world is in a global pandemic but has been in a climate crisis for even longer, one which food waste exacerbates. It must be made mandatory that these establishments collaborate with non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross to distribute unused food and other resources to those who need it as opposed to discarding. While I understand that this endeavour may raise legal and health concerns, I would like to believe that it is not a problem too difficult for hospitality executives and governments to solve in order to prevent abhorrent food wastage.

• While on the topic of food, though it is wonderful that many of these establishments provide meals for their staff, it should not be a reason for food safety to be disregarded. At Sandals’ staff canteens, I have witnessed insects on and near the food stations. There needs to be a policy that guarantees food safety and proper food handling for the staff cafeterias to the same extent in which it exists for the hotel restaurants.

• The exploitation of local employees via the hotel industry's unfair salary systems needs to end. As of now, temporary staff in St. Lucia can be paid two to three times less than their “permanent” co-workers with whom they share the work-load. These temporary employees are often promised a permanent (but unguaranteed) position after working three cycles as cheap labour and are being exploited. The governments need to demand an end to this shameful practice. If these workers are temporary, their schedules and workload should reflect this.

• Trainee programs like the one at Sandals need to be revised. As of now, many local “staff” members who participate in these programmes are unpaid, yet they do the same amount of work as temporary or permanent staff.  Meanwhile, foreign participants receive a stipend. For too long, this has been disguised as “free training” when it is nothing more than “free labour” as employment at Sandals is not guaranteed after such training. The governments must demand that local staff trainees receive a stipend.

• Unpaid overtime must be banned throughout the hospitality industry. Too often people work overtime without being paid out of fear for losing their jobs.

• Hospitality establishments that are forced into temporary closures during the off-season should provide their employees with stipends. As of now, many employees are neither given the leniency to seek temporary employment elsewhere or a stipend to take care of their financial responsibilities during the off-season. The stipend provided should provide committed employees peace of mind and security knowing that their employers are committed to their well-being.

• All hospitality workers should have their right to protest protected. As of now, if a worker protests, they risk losing their job and this is outrageous. It is the responsibility of their government to not only protect but to amplify their voices! At least three workers of any establishment should be able to request through the force/team developed to protest, with their identities remaining anonymous to their employers until such protest is approved. Additionally, all workers who participate in a protest/strike should receive immunity from job termination on the grounds of having protested.

• Any establishment that disregards such policies should face repercussions severe enough to ensure universal compliance.

Those who are opposed to the BLM movement can choose to either reconsider their position or refrain from visiting or investing in the Caribbean. The loss of their business would be a small price to pay for our human rights. Our display of solidarity will open doors to the multitude of people worldwide who support this global necessary movement, many of whom will applaud our nations for placing their voices on the right side of history! Most importantly, for making changes that will build our economies, enhance our environments and respect human rights, we will contribute to a better world for future generations!

I urge each of you who read this and understand that these are necessary measures to bring about change. Sign your name and be a part of the change you want to see. For those of you who are not aware of the necessity of this movement in our Caribbean, please engage in dialogue with someone from this industry who may help you understand their struggles! Let us not settle with the self-defeating cynicism of “the governments will not do that” and instead understand that “together we will make this happen!” We absolutely can. It all starts with your signature and your voice! Please share this message with everyone you know! The wellbeing of our local workforce depends on it.

 

To know our horror stories that make this petition important, please view the link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/16AvlmTUZSFMF1d3193XOzLWG_zyklIvUcE45uWpfDu8/edit?usp=sharing

 

THANK YOU!

 

 

References

Kim, E. (2020, June 05). Jeff Bezos responded to an 'offended' customer who wants Amazon to say All Lives Matter instead of Black Lives Matter: 'My stance won't change'. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-responds-to-angry-customer-about-black-lives-matter-banner-2020-6

World Factbook. (2019, February). SAINT LUCIA (Rep.). Retrieved June 6, 2020, from CIA website: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/attachments/summaries/ST-summary.pdf

Walker, R. (2018, September 18). The Problem of Waste in Hospitality: Modern Restaurant Management: The Business of Eating & Restaurant Management News. Retrieved from https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/the-problem-of-waste-in-hospitality/