At least one member of staff has been rehired by a South Shore hotel following a group dismissal for fighting.

Five workers were fired about three weeks ago from Sonesta Beach after they were caught fighting.

One of them, a woman, was rehired on Tuesday following a meeting with management, said an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The woman, revealed the employee, had only been defending herself during the fight but that was grounds for the hotel to dismiss her under its policy.

Sonesta has a policy which states that any staff caught fighting will be dismissed, even if they are in the process of defending themselves.

The employee said this was "ludicrous'' as the Constitution allowed people to defend themselves when attacked.

And he noted that the hotels' collective bargaining agreement also had a policy in it which stated that staff could be dismissed for fighting.

Staff had maintained that the dismissed five needed to have a fair hearing before they were let go. Two of the fired workers met with management on Tuesday while the other three had a meeting yesterday.

Of the first pair who met, one was given her job back -- provided she serves out a week's suspension -- and the other will go to the next step of grievance settlement which requires a meeting with the labour relations officer and management.

No news was available last night of yesterday's meeting.

The source noted the dismissed five were given "beautiful'' references by the hotel upon being fired.

He said this was because they were all good employees who had been caught up in the heat of the moment and the resulting fight. "They did not have to be fired,'' he added.