End of an Era: Singapore’s Hotel Miramar to Cease Operations, 108 Workers Laid Off

Hotel Miramar Singapore announced on Friday, August 29, that it will cease its business operations at the end of October. As a result of this, nearly 108 employees will be laid off.

The hotel and the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) said in a joint statement, “This difficult decision was made after careful and comprehensive evaluation of the hotel’s long-term business outlook.”

Both parties stated that the hotel had shown “exceptional responsibility and commitment to supporting affected employees and ensuring they are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect” by deciding to stop operations and by interacting with the union early on.

According to the collective bargaining agreement and unionized standards, they stated that the hotel would offer reasonable retrenchment packages.

Employees covered by the re-employment plan will also receive the retrenchment package, with extra compensation given to long-serving staff members.

“It has also agreed with the union to provide ex-gratia payment to employees with less than two years of service,” said the statement.

According to the union, it is collaborating closely with the hotel to help impacted workers find new employment opportunities.

Among these is linking them to the network of the labor movement, including the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) of NTUC. The job matching services, career coaching, and skills upgrading advisory offered by e2i are available to affected employees who are Singaporeans or permanent residents.

Hotel Miramar Singapore managing director Ken Lim said, as quoted by CNA, “We are especially thankful for our long-serving colleagues, many of whom have devoted decades of their lives to the hotel, with some serving for as long as 55 years.”

“These individuals form the very backbone of Hotel Miramar Singapore, and we are deeply appreciative of their service and unwavering loyalty,” Lim added.

“In this context, we have worked closely with the FDAWU in a spirit of partnership, ensuring that the interests and well-being of our employees remain central in every move we make.”

The hotel opened in 1971, according to the Roots.gov.sg website. During the late 1960s and early 1970s hotel construction boom, it was one of the many properties built around the outskirts of the city.

FDAWU general secretary Sankaradass S Chami said, as reported by CNA, “The union is sad that Hotel Miramar Singapore, one of our nation’s hospitality icons that has provided good jobs for many Singaporeans over the years, is ceasing operations.”

“We are thankful that even at this hour, the management has gone above and beyond its collective agreement to support impacted employees, working closely with FDAWU to ensure that workers’ welfare is of utmost priority,” added Chami.

Chami concluded, “In a time of economic uncertainty, the management has shown industry leadership, empathy, and exemplary conduct. This collaborative approach reflects the value of a strong labor-management relationship.”