Workers of Sheraton Hotel Abuja on Tuesday embarked on a protest within the hotel premises over non-payment of their severance package.

The aggrieved workers, under the auspices of the National Union of Hotels, Personal Services Workers (NUHPSA), said that it would be unfair for the management to ask them to quit their jobs without paying them off.

General-Secretary of the union, Mr. Leke Success, said: “The protest is to ensure that Marriott International pay the money that we jointly agreed to be paid as severance package in view of the new owner shutting down this place today.

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“We just heard about a week ago that the new owner, NIPCO, who just acquired this place, decided that they will shut it down and commence renovations.

“We tried to persuade them from shutting down based on the short notice but that could not fly.

“So we sat down as a responsible union to negotiate severance pay for our members and the agreement stipulated that before the close of business on October 17, the money will be paid.

“But up until now, the management is still dilly-dallying and very soon they will lower the banner and shut this place.

“So we cannot risk that happening. It is because the money was not paid that we are here to protest peacefully that this money should be paid or we will not leave this place.”

Capital Hotel Plc bought majority shares in Sheraton from the Federal Government over 30 years ago and engaged the services of Marriot International in the management of Sheraton.

Its new owners, NIPCO, which bought 51 per cent majority shares in Sheraton, had planned to shut down the hotel in order to carry out holistic renovation and repositioning of the hotel.

The Star