Four Seasons employees feel not enough being done to help

Some employees of Nevis' Four Seasons who will be displaced when the resort closes for renovation from June 1, are of the view that Premier and Minister of Tourism, Hon Mark Brantley, is not doing enough to provide "governmental assistance" during that period.

"It is going to be a financial burden. We feel Mr Brantley needs to do more. He has been boasting about how well Nevis is doing. I just feel that for him to depend on the private sector alone to employ us temporarily is just not enough, It is just not enough," said Myra, not her real name.

Jaince, also not her real name, said her boyfriend is not working and "things are really hard, hard, hard."

"Timothy Harris told Obi, that is $30 million he gives Mr Brantley every year. Why he (Brantley) cannot use some of that money to help us, who are just struggling daily," said Janice .

"Most of my wages go into bills. It is going to be tough meeting those obligations," said Ursula, who added: "Brantley needs to give all of the Four Seasons workers, the EC$500 Food Stamps (Poverty Alleviation Programme) they giving out."

"He should even try to increase it to EC$600 or EC$800 for the Four Seasons workers for the next four months," said Ursula.

Some 400 employees will be without work during the four months closure while the resort gets an EC$40 million renovation. During the closure workers will get a quarter of their wages or salaries.