Inter-Continental Group of Hotels has officially written to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on its intentions to shut down its operations and send 180 employees home due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The Zambia Unified Union of Tourism and Hospitality says the Hotel has already sent the 180 workers on forced but paid leave in view of its decision to shut down its operations as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Union General Secretary Emmanuel Kapopo says he is hopeful that no worker will completely lose their employment after further engagement with management, government and the Unions in the industry.
Mr Kapopo said the Hotel management, government and the Union are expected to hold a meeting this week to discuss the way forward.
And Mr Kapopo has called on government to heed to the calls from the Livingstone Tourism Association to waive the tourism levy and other taxes as a way of cushioning the operations in the industry.
Too bad. Intercontinental Hotel was my play ground.
The heat is cooking up. Who is going to help?
The airline, hotel, cruise line, and casino industries are in trouble all over the world at the moment. People have stopped traveling so you can understand why Intercontinental Zambia needs to temporarily close for now. One can only hope things will turn around soon. You just feel for these workers who are being laid off. Good luck and God bless folks!
The hospitality industry was always going to get the raw end of stick in this calamity. We thank that they have been only put on forced leave and not redundant. Kz
Too bad for our friends it was expected as less movement and gathering happening around the world.
What measures have GRZ stated to help the hotels industry in Zambia to avoid to make workers redundant? We need specific measures to be outrined, not vague promises that take too long to matriarise.
The global economy has been negatively affected by this pandemic, we only hope that this pandemic will soon be gone and workers and business can return back to normal.
And Hotel intercontinental has been a loss making company for the past few years even without Convid…..i dont know if will survive the economic downturn
Under a normal leadership there would have been clear mitigatory plans to cushion the economic hardships that will ensue. Under stup!d PF, loadhsedding has increased even when the Kariba is full to the brim, ZRA have gone crazy demanding money from companies and the reserves are at zero so no way to counter the depreciated Kwacha or to subsidize the livelihoods of the Zambians. Why this crisis had to happen under the dullest president in the world I will never understand.
Yes, close all hotels and PF government should pay for all laid off workers, all guest houses should close, all bars to be closed to avoid Kaizer Zulu assorting the general peaceful public as he is public enemy number one to be caged when PF regime will be no more as many existed before.
How do they operate when airline industry globally is grounded?? The bulk of their clientele was from this industry. Well done for paying your workers.
This is time for economic management, government should quickly put in measures that will help and support various industries to keep afloat during this period, like Tax holidays, duty weavers and so on.
Who can blame them when the Zambian President is nowhere to be seen…he is in self isolation with Grandma Inonge doing nothing as usual. This is where a responsible comes in with assistance for workers but they have eaten everything.
This is appropriate. All in all closures even in Mines are cushioned with pay. Any political advantage by opposition is unacceptable. We encourage the govt to take heart. Worldwide recession/depression worse than ,,1930 is predicted.
SUSPEND ELECTIONS 2021. WE DONT HAVE MONEY FOR A GENERAL ELECTION. A NEW GOVT BY OPPOSITION WOULD BE A DISASTER. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER.
Job well done by inters management. Life is more important than profits
Whatever happened to the concept of the ‘new world order’. True Believers should be gratified if this crisis could just be setting the pace for the total grounding of all perverse cultures. Does the world need bars?
Why can’t minister of tourism intervene or pretend to intervene as Richard Musukwa has done at Mopani Copper Mining Co?
The sad part is that their director, a British man named Ewan Cameron has issued instructions to his managers that none of the employees terminated must not be re-hired when the hotel re-opens. He want new employees only. Some people have worked at the hotel for more than 15 or 20 years and he don’t want then back. He says he don’t give a sh!t and for sure he doesn’t give a toss. Zambians we must wake up and stop people like this operating in Zambia. He does not care about the welfare of employees and treats everyone like a piece of sh!t. The unions are being hood winked by the evil Mr. Cameron.
Must be rehired.