Ayaba Hotel Workers Applaud Own Director General, Doume Zacharie

By FC Ndi

Doume Zacharie in traditional outfit flanked by Special Invitees 

It was during the presentation of New Year wishes to the management of the Hotel that took place in the conference hall of Ayaba Hotel on Saturday April 5, 2014. Speaking during that fabulous occasion, the staff Representative thanked the Director General, Doume Zacharie for the rehabilitation work carried out in the establishment in 2013. In a mode of fanfare and ecstasy, Ayaba Hotel workers promised that they are looking towards attaining the five basic determinants of quality costumer service.  “The complete transformation of the hotel has given it a facelift and impetus to remain top in a market where competition is stiff and unfair”, he added. Harping on the numerous changes that have moved Ayaba Hotel from the doldrums to attain the five determinant qualities of costumer service, the staff Representative cited amongst others the complete overhauling of the housing department which include, rehabilitation of the suites, rehabilitation and transformation of room 601 into a semi-suite, the painting to changing of bed sheets in all the rooms, the installation of electronic locks, flat TV screens in all rooms, lobby, bar and restaurant. “All these have created comfort to our guests who now see our hotel as a real home away from home”, he continued. The staff Representative also applauded the management of Ayaba headed by Doume Zacharie for transforming the catering the department into a veritable modern service. He expressed a lot of satisfaction that management procured cutleries, oven pots and cookers. “The acquisition of a grill for open air roasting has added splendor to our catering service” as well as “setting up of a hotel canteen for staff”. Besides, he also congratulated management for instilling sustainable actions in hotel management such as the setting up of a poultry and piggery farm at the outer court of the hotel. “This recycling project earmarked to provide the hotel with sizeable quality chicken and pork has gone a long way to cut down the exorbitant food cost and handling cost the hotel had suffered over the years”.  On the innovation work already carried out in the catering service, the staff Representative noted with satisfaction that the acquisition of

Director General in traditional outfit flanked by staff

cutleries, oven pots, cookers, a grill for open door roasting and the setting up of a canteen for staff has added splendor to their job. He said Ayaba hotel the planting of environment friendly trees around the court and the construction of a pavement along the piscine has added placed them on top as the main tourist home in the North West Region of Cameroon. He revealed that the entire staff is delighted for “the recruitment of twenty temporal workers, some of whom have suffocated for over six years under a heavy appellation of “Extras”. These workers he observed are not only celebrating their recruitment but also increments in their pay packages. “Besides these temporal staff, 18 permanent staff also celebrated their advancement following the new collective convention of hotels, bars and restaurants, some of whom were never advanced since 2003. Once more we say Thank You”, he rejoiced.  

The staff Representative speaking on behalf of the staff also reminded the Director General how in March 2011, before he was appointed, Ayaba hotel suffered an industrial strike action. “There was chaos and the services were at the brink of collapsing. After everyone had left the guest stranded and disgruntled, some 21 of us reached out to them against the wish of the majority”. According to the staff representative, the Minister of Tourism by then asked them to forfeit part of their salary for the establishment to survive yet today 18 of them are kindly imploring the Director General and his team to revisit the sacrifice they made. He also called on the management to see into the huge tax arrears since 1990 which Ayaba Hotel owes taxation and the social insurance which hinders them to get social benefits.

Food, Food for all to Celebrate and Commune with Management

In reaction to the speech by the workers Representative, the Director General of Ayaba Hotel, Doume Zacharie assured the hotel staff that problems raised will be channeled to the appropriate quarters. “I listened with a lot of attention your worries and they were touching right into my heart. I even thought that what I was doing here was not seen”.  Doume Zacharie likened Ayaba hotel to the Garden of Eden which God created, endowed it with everything but the snake succeeded in deceiving Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. He reminded the staff that Ayaba hotel was created for them to work so as to earn a living but seemingly the snakes would always attempt to stir the staff off their objectives. He said that Ayaba has a roadmap that seeks to maintain the hotel as the best of the best in the region. He also lamented that he took over office when the hotel owed over 800 million FCFA. “Gradually, we are paying off the debts with CNPS and other taxes and that since January 2013, the establishment has been paying it taxes on monthly bases. “When I arrived here, we were at less than 15% consumption and today we are at 40% which is indicative”, Doume Zacharie continued. 

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