The Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) has launched a petition following reports that resorts are informing staff they will no longer be able to pay salaries and service charges in US dollars due to the government's recent changes to foreign exchange regulations.
The legislative amendments were passed despite concerns from the tourism industry that a requirement to convert 40 percent of total dollar revenue into Maldivian Rufiyaa is unfeasible. Under the new rules, resorts will be mandated to convert 40 percent of their earnings starting this October.
Resort employees, who receive their wages in US dollars, are expected to be the hardest hit by these changes. In response, TEAM has announced a formal campaign to challenge the move.
The initial phase of the campaign involves a nationwide petition. TEAM stated that member resorts have already pledged their support, and the union is now calling on employees at non-member resorts to join the cause.
The petition demands that the government halt any measures that would lead to the cessation of dollar-denominated salaries and service charges for resort workers. TEAM has instructed interested participants to contact them via their Facebook page to sign the document.
The union argued that employees should not have to bear the financial burden of a situation for which they are not responsible. TEAM has previously stated it does not support shifting salaries to local currency as long as there is no guarantee that dollars will remain accessible at the official exchange rate.
TEAM emphasized that any measures impacting the income of resort workers should only be considered as a last resort and following extensive consultation. To address the ongoing dollar shortage, the association urged the government to focus instead on reducing state expenditure.
