By JUAN MCCARTNEY, NG Senior Reporter

The British Colonial Hilton in downtown Nassau laid off almost 20 workers yesterday, according to Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union president, Roy Colebrook.

Colebrook told The Nassau Guardian the union had anticipated at least 30 people, or 10 percent of the Hilton's workforce, would be terminated, but said the union's intervention saved several jobs yesterday.

"We were able to negotiate and secure 12 out of that 10 percent which would have been 30, and so that leaves the number to 18 individuals, and you would find that most of those individuals out of the 18 would have been a part of the food and beverage area," said Colebrook. "We have secured them in the buyout capacity in the Banquet Section. That property does most of its food and beverage employment business out of the buyout capacity. So that was done pretty well. Persons who were severed were happy [with what they received]. They also made redundant a supervisor in the Housekeeping Department."

As far as layoffs are concerned, Colebrook said, "That's it for the Hilton."

Colebrook claimed the Hilton had said it would make the cuts in light of its extensive renovations and decreased occupancy numbers. However, Hilton officials did not release any statements up to press time last night and were unavailable for comment yesterday.

This latest round of layoffs come a week after 800 employees were terminated from the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. On Monday, approximately 130 workers from Harborside Resort also lost their jobs amid growing uncertainty about the economy.

Last week, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said unemployment is now a most serious concern, and yesterday members of Parliament participated in a debate on the economy with opposition MPs accusing the government of failing to act in the face of rising joblessness.

Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing shot back, however, saying that during high periods of unemployment under the Christie administration, the then government failed to provide any sort of relief for displaced workers. He assured that the current government is doing all it can to help workers impacted by the downturn in the economy.

The Hilton layoffs come as fears persist about the level of available jobs heading into the new year. On Thursday, Governor of the Central Bank, Wendy Craigg said job prospects in 2009 would likely not materialize for many Bahamians.