ykemp@tribunemedia.net
Labour leaders yesterday praised the Government's decision to extension unemployment benefits to end-January 2021 as the correct approach given multiple COVID-19 uncertainties.
John Pinder, director of labour, told Tribune Business the move was the “appropriate thing to do because the government extended the emergency orders up until December. For the four weeks after the end of the emergency period, the employer could determine whether or not they want to make the employees redundant. So it would be good if those employees could get some money during the interim".
The Government-funded unemployment benefit has been extended several times after the tourism industry's post-COVID-19 re-opening was repeatedly delayed. However, yesterday's Atlantis re-opening brought 2,500 staff out of a 7,500-8,000 total back to work, while around 1,800 Baha Mar employees will return on December 17. This means 4,300 hotel staff will be back at work shortly.