Future of The Aruban remains uncertain
4 Dec, 2009, 11:46 (GMT -04:00)
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Minister Otmar Oduber in conversation with Paul Moore of The Aruban Resort yesterday.ORANJESTAD — The future of the hotel The Aruban is still uncertain. Notwithstanding that Minister Otmar Oduber (AVP) of Tourism, Labor and Transport had held a conversation with Paul Moore, member of the management team; he remains concerned about a possible closing down. “Nevertheless, I have the feeling that the owners want to keep the hotel up and running”, said the Minister.
The hotel has been coping with financial problems since a longer period as one of the American banks – where the hotel had borrowed an amount worth millions of florins – had gone bankrupt. Moreover, the economical recession had caused a drastic decline in the selling of the number of timeshare apartments. Minister Oduber is particularly concerned about the fate of the employees as well as the effect of a possible closing down on the image of Aruba. During the conversation, the Minister had received documents from the hotel, which support their declaration that they are currently arranging their financial affairs.
A large part of the hotel’s personnel had gone on strike last Monday, as the salary payments had remained forthcoming. The employees were to receive their salary last week Monday, but had been told that ‘they would be paid this week, due to payment problems’.
It was not the first time that personnel of The Aruban had stopped working. The Sales & Marketing department had closed at the beginning of this year, and 80 people had lost their job. The foreign hotel owners had reversed the aforementioned a few weeks later. The salary payments had previously been an obstacle as well. The employees of the hotel had previously also stopped working for a short period due to discontentment on the late payment of their salary. However, the strike of last Monday had been the largest until now. It is reported that more than 80 percent of the personnel had participated. Rudy Geerman of trade union FTA had announced earlier this week that there would more actions, if a solution for the problem remains forthcoming.