Jobs go as Resorts World reaches brink of completion
Some contract staffers were called back on NYE 2009, and told that they were not needed
By ARTHUR SIM
(SINGAPORE) Construction work for Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) may be on schedule but ironically, it has not worked out for some contracted staffers.
BT understands that a number of them were summoned back to the office on New Year’s Eve 2009 and told that their services were no longer required.
A check with RWS confirms that 45 people on contract terms had been told that they would not need to serve out their contracts.
Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, senior vice-president of HR and training, said that in accordance with original employment terms, the staff were given ‘completion bonuses’ linked to KPIs.
A majority also received contract bonuses and variable bonuses.
The contracts ranged between one and three years. Ms Seah-Khoo said that most had only a few months left to serve.
The contract staff were from the project management division and Ms Seah-Khoo said that it is well-known in the industry that jobs in this field do not last longer than the time it takes to complete the project.
Unlike permanent staff, Ms Seah-Khoo said that contract staff ‘are accustomed to moving from contract to contract’.
She also recalls that when hiring started in 2007, she was, ‘amazed that so many people were willing to work on short-term contracts’.
The contract staff that have been served notice have been told that they are welcome to apply for other positions within RWS.
Ms Seah-Khoo added that she does not expect to see anymore contract staff leaving.
Krist Boo, the spokeswoman for RWS, added that she has even received an inquiry from someone in the projects management division to move to the corporate communications department.
‘We have new jobs. But it depends on their interests,’ she added.
With the projects management division scaling down, one might expect that RWS will open ahead of schedule.
However, Ms Boo says that the opening has always been scheduled for the first quarter of 2010.
With this looming, interest in RWS has intensified with scrutiny now focused on when RWS and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) will be awarded the all important casino licenses.
A check with the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) reveals that both operators had made their submission for the casino license in October 2009 with processing probity investigations expected to take about three months.
But both applications were incomplete and CRA says the additional information was received in November from MBS and December from RWS.
A spokesman for CRA added: ‘CRA views such probity investigations carried out on the applicant as well as the associates of the applicant seriously.’
RWS would not comment on whether the delay in its application would have any impact on its projected opening date.
RWS has nevertheless already hosted the ChildAid concert on its premises in December. It is also expected to stage the Boys Like Girls concert later this month.
Source : Business Times - 05 January 2010
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