Some 40 workers at the Topaz Hotel in Qawra have been handed their notice after Summer Breaks Limited, which runs the venue on behalf of Tumas Group, decided to pull out. Some of them may however be retained by the group,

Contacted yesterday by Times of Malta, Tumas Group director Ray Fenech said he was hopeful that the Topaz would be up and running again by next May, if they managed to find new operators. In that case all employees whose contract is to be terminated at the beginning of next month will be offered the chance to rejoin the company.

Mr Fenech said that even though the hotel was closing down, a number of workers will be retained to carry out maintenance work and take care of security, while others will be deployed in other hotels belonging to the Tumas Group. He could not guarantee there will be no layoffs though.

Mr Fenech said the longest-serving employees were the least likely to lose their job.

“If the worst comes to worst, I can tell you that there is a huge demand for employees in the accommodation industry so there are ample job opportunities out there,” Mr Fenech said.

This newspaper also spoke to a General Workers’ Union official who is representing hotel employees during ongoing talks with Summer Breaks Limited and Tumas Group.

Hospitality and foods section secretary Kevin Camilleri said the union was doing its utmost to protect its members, adding that even if they lost their job they would seek full termin-ation benefits.

The GWU official pointed out that by law if a new operator took over the hotel it was bound to engage the same group of employees, up to one year after the termination of their employment.

The GWU official said further meetings with the hotel owners were scheduled for next week.