ST Lucia PM economic concerns

The Prime Minister of St. Lucia Stephenson King said he is concerned about St. Lucia’s economic prospects, as the global economic downturn claims its first casualties.



Last week, Sandals Resorts, the largest employer in St. Lucia’s tourism sector, announced it was sending home 210 workers.



Prime Minister King said the decision was unfortunate, but that Sandals’ Chairman Gordon Butch Stewart had indicated to the Government that he had no choice but to lay off workers, given the massive decline in advanced bookings.



Mr. King said a meeting has been planned with the Sandals Chairman to explore the possibility of re-engaging the affected workers as soon as conditions improve.



In a weekend statement Sandals Resorts indicated that while it had laid off 210 workers at its three resorts in St. Lucia, it still had another 1,110 workers on its payroll.