HILTON Trinidad will no longer be able to provide jobs for more than 200 part-time employees before the week is over, human resource manager Jonathan Cumberbatch yesterday.

"We are unable to provide temporary jobs as we once did. We can't say if this is going to be forever or for a short while," he said during a news conference at the St Ann's hotel yesterday.

The hotel, which usually provides 412 rooms, has been operating with 116 rooms because of major renovations and with over 550 permanent and temporary employees since January, Cumberbatch said. He said in addition to the renovations, the hotel has been operating at a significant loss due to competition and added that the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) was advised of this.

But president of the CWU Joseph Remy said workers are being placed on the breadline after years of service without so much as a severance package. He said some of the workers had more than 28 years' service at the hotel.

"These workers are the cornerstone of this hotel and, instead of being made permanent, are now subjected to abrupt termination, no future pay or severance for service rendered," Remy said at a news conference at the union's Henry Street, Port of Spain, office.

He said the only justification given by management for the loss of jobs was the room reduction due to renovations being done by Eteck (Evolving Technologies and Enterprise Development Company), in preparation for the upcoming Heads of Commonwealth conference and the FTAA conference.

However, Remy said the hotel had a history of hiring local workers on a part-time basis to avoid having to pay them a decent wage or offer retrenchment packages, but hired foreigners, paying them large salaries and offering them numerous benefits, including lodging at the hotel.

He claimed that since Ali Khan came on as general manager, he has attempted to "de-unionise" the employees; shut down three "money making bars"-namely the Carnival, Gazeebo and the Ranchers-which has affected both nationals and foreigners; and has refused to settle the 2002-2005 collective agreements.

Remy said the union saw the need to address this issue now because workers were being threatened with their livelihoods in this economically difficult time.

CWU secretary general John Julien said while the management wanted to ensure the hotel was refurbished and taken back to its "glory days", it was unfair that it has decided to send some 200-plus employees home.

"This is a wake-up call for the Government. What you see happening on the outside of the Hilton is not happening on the inside," he said.

He said the hotel, which is owned by the Government, had an obligation to ensure the best interest of the workers.

"If this is not done quickly, all this will be going somewhere else," he said.