Fairmont Norfolk Revokes Memo Firing All Employees

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has withdrawn a memo which fired all its employees after pressure from government and staff union.

In a new memo on Thursday, the Fairmont management said it had withdrawn the retrenchment memo circulated to staff on May 27 following a consultative meeting held with the Workers Committee Management and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospital Workers (KUDHEIHA) on Wednesday.

“We would like to reiterate that the owners, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and subsequently Accor Hotels are very committed towards the health, safety and wellbeing of the employees,” read part of the new memo.

“To this end, the Management has withdrawn the said memo as we continue with consultative meetings with all stakeholders until an agreement is reached.”

On its part, the union disputed the sacking of all employees terming the exercise as forced and contrary to provisions of an existing Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA).

The union hence forced the meeting on June 3 which further discussed the payment of 50 percent of salary payments for the month of May.

“We are shocked that the procedures and provisions used by management do not meet bare minimums as provided by parties to the CBA,” read part of the letter by KUDHEIHA.

Earlier, the government had directed the management of Fairmont Hotel and Resorts to justify its decision to sack all employees of its Norfolk and Mara Safari Club establishments

“This matter is of public importance and great concern to the Government and in view of the Attorney General’s mandate to promote, protect and uphold the rule of law and defend the public interest, this Office should be very grateful if you would provide it with clarification regarding the said media reports and complaints from employees, including on the veracity thereof and the justification for the taking of such action, if this is the case,” read a letter undersigned by the Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto on May 29.

In the May 28th memo, Fairmount management sighted the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the force behind the mass retrenchment and closure of Fairmont The Norfolk and Fairmont Mara Safari Club.

“Due to the uncertainty of when and how the impact of the global pandemic will result in the business picking up in the near future, we are left with no option but to close down the business indefinitely,” wrote Country General Manager Mehdi Morad.