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ANSE MARCEL — Four months after employees of St. Martin Beach Resort & Spa warned of growing uncertainty surrounding the future of the property, workers are now facing the prospect of mass layoffs, with management proposing to eliminate 122 of the hotel’s 130 positions.
The proposal, revealed during ongoing restructuring proceedings, would reduce the workforce by approximately 94 percent and leave only eight employees remaining at the resort, formerly operated as Secrets Resort & Spa St. Martin.
The hotel’s Works Council (Comité Social et Économique, CSE), which represents employees, has overwhelmingly rejected the plan and is calling for its immediate withdrawal or substantial revision.
In a strongly worded statement, the CSE described the proposal as “a brutal dismantling of the company at the expense of its workers” and accused management of using economic difficulties as a justification for decisions that employees argue were the result of management failures.
“These layoffs are based on a manufactured economic pretext designed to legitimize mass job destruction,” the CSE stated.
The development marks a dramatic escalation in a crisis that began late last year when the 258-room resort abruptly closed its doors. At the time, employee representatives voiced concerns about a lack of transparency from ownership and uncertainty surrounding the future of the property and its workforce.
The hotel, one of the largest tourism properties on the French side of the island, entered judicial restructuring proceedings earlier this year after ownership filed for redressement judiciaire in the Commercial Court of Guadeloupe.
Employees had previously hoped that the restructuring process would lead to a recovery plan capable of preserving jobs and eventually reopening the resort. Instead, the latest proposal would eliminate nearly the entire workforce.
Concerns over worker protections
The CSE argues that the proposed Job Protection Plan (Plan de Sauvegarde de l’Emploi, PSE) fails to provide adequate safeguards for affected employees.
According to employee representatives, the plan offers no meaningful guarantees for redeployment and fails to take into account the realities of Saint Martin’s labor market, where finding alternative employment opportunities for more than one hundred displaced workers may prove challenging.
The CSE also alleges that management rejected proposals submitted by employee representatives aimed at improving protections and support measures for workers. “This plan sacrifices almost the entire workforce,” the council stated.
For many employees, the proposed cuts represent the potential end of careers that span decades at the property.
Health and social concerns
Beyond the immediate job losses, employee representatives warn that the uncertainty surrounding the restructuring process is already taking a toll on workers.
The CSE has raised concerns about psychosocial risks associated with the proposed layoffs and says no adequate assessment has been conducted regarding the human impact of the restructuring.
Representatives further argue that insufficient measures have been put in place to mitigate the effects of the planned redundancies on employees and their families.
The council also criticized what it described as a lack of transparency throughout the process and questioned whether management has fully met its obligations regarding health, safety, and consultation requirements.
Broader economic impact
The proposed layoffs are expected to have repercussions beyond the hotel itself.
When the resort closed in December 2025, employees warned that the loss of one of the French side’s largest hotels would affect taxi operators, suppliers, vendors, service providers, and other businesses that depend on tourism activity generated by the property.
The resort’s closure also significantly reduced available room inventory and event-hosting capacity on the French side, impacting the island’s overall tourism offering.
Employee representatives continue to argue that decisions affecting the future of the property should be made transparently and with consideration for both workers and the wider community.
Legal action possible
The CSE has indicated it is prepared to pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues to challenge the restructuring plan and defend workers’ rights.
Its demands include the withdrawal or complete redesign of the proposed layoff program, stronger job-protection measures, and a more comprehensive support package for employees who may lose their jobs.
“Our position is unambiguous,” the CSE stated. “This plan is unjustified, irresponsible and unacceptable.”
As restructuring proceedings continue, the future of both the resort and more than 120 employees remains uncertain.
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