Easing work permit restrictions for two service job categories has been met with mixed reactions — including from a hotel body, which welcomed the move.

The Free Democratic Movement, however, said the announcement yesterday by Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, who cited the imminent opening of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, raised questions about the interests of unionised workers colliding with those of a large development.

The party said moving room attendants and bartending from the closed to the restricted job categories would weaken the position of Bermudian workers in favour of the employer.

Mr Hayward said the switch, to take effect on March 1, had been settled upon after discussions with the hospitality sector.

It followed concerns raised by participants at a government-convened hospitality workforce summit this month about recruitment challenges.

Mr Hayward acknowledged the concerns, which involved the Bermuda Industrial Union and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

The Bermuda Hotel Association said the change in immigration rules would benefit an industry where “critically important guest service positions” had been challenging to fill.

Stephen Todd, the chief executive of the BHA, said: “It remains our overall goal as an industry to recruit, train and retain as many Bermudians as we can, who are genuinely interested in pursuing a long-term career, given that there are a number of opportunities for them to do so.”

Kyle Bridgewater of the FDM called the issue “concerning” for tourism industry workers emerging from the off season.

He added: “An intervention that weakens the position of Bermudian workers in favour of employers — such as Gencom, which is already benefiting from substantial public support — is a misstep.

“Tourism’s greatest asset has never been infrastructure. It has been Bermudians.

“Visitors come for the authenticity, charm and lived experience that locals bring to the front line.

“A hospitality model increasingly reliant on imported labour risks eroding the differentiator that once made Bermuda competitive against destinations such as Turks & Caicos, St Martin and Anguilla.”

Mr Bridgewater said the island’s low 1.4 per cent unemployment rate made for “precisely the environment in which workers should be able to use their bargaining power to earn what they are truly worth”.

He added that taxpayers had underwritten the Fairmont Southampton redevelopment project through a $75 million government guarantee and more than $120 million in tax concessions for Gencom.

He said: “When the public assumes that level of risk, the public should reasonably expect Bermudian workers to benefit first — not that labour protections are softened to reduce operating costs.

“If wages in tourism are not attracting Bermudians, that signals a price-and-incentives problem, not a summit problem and not a job fair problem.”

The party member referenced the 1981 general strike, led by the BIU, which it said was about dignity and the right of hospitality workers to fair wages.

He added: “Today, too many tourism roles still do not provide sufficient stability to meet Bermuda’s cost of living.

“If wages are not rising, the solution is not to increase labour supply prematurely — it is to allow compensation and conditions to adjust to scarcity.”

Mr Bridgewater said low unemployment should signal worker strength and stronger bargaining power, not “justify labour liberalisation”.

He added: “The Minister of Economy and Labour cannot serve two masters. This government has historically relied on organised labour as a foundation of its political support.

“It cannot now present itself as a champion of workers while advancing policies that reduce their bargaining power at the first sign of pressure.

“Especially where taxpayer guarantees are involved, Bermudian workers must come first.”

The BHA said that, in keeping with Mr Hayward’s request, a hospitality careers fair was planned for March 18 at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, in conjunction with its industry partners.