Prime Minister Gaston Browne recently unleashed a barrage of false allegations and mischievous insinuations against the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union in response to remarks by ABWU’s General Secretary Sen. David Massiah about the Prime Minister’s proposed increase of the national minimum wage.
Prime Minister Browne, to be absolutely clear, we unequivocally reiterate that your proposed minimum wage increase is nothing more than a by-election gimmick!
By now, many of us easily recognise your disingenuous approach when it comes to improving the lives of workers in Antigua and Barbuda. The track record of the Gaston Browne Administration shows that it is only under the pressure of a looming election that this administration is willing to consider any adjustment in the minimum wage. And even under such circumstances, the imposed increase has always been vastly out of step with the sky-rocketing cost of living.
Let us remind you, Gaston Browne, that it was only in 2022, a few months ahead of the last general elections, that your Administration appointed the National Minimum Wage Advisory Committee. Prior to then, the last time the minimum wage had been reviewed was in 2013, whereas the law requires a review every two years. How can you seriously attempt to masquerade as the champion for workers rights when your administration repeatedly fails to honour this basic legal requirement?
To add insult to injury, when the Unions who formed part of this Advisory Committee put forward their proposal of $12.50 – a proposal based on solid research and a realistic assessment of the economy – it was the Gaston Browne Administration that shot it down in favour of $9.00, an increase of merely 80c which was completely out of alignment with the cost of living in Antigua and Barbuda. Imagine, this is the track record of a Prime Minister who purports to be the champion of workers' empowerment. Indeed, there is empowerment and enrichment taking place under this administration, but certainly not for the ordinary workers and people of this country.
Gaston Browne, “the bastion of workers’ rights and empowerment”, you certainly had a mouthful to say about the ABWU’s negotiations with the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA). Let us now examine your Administration’s record of salary negotiations for public servants. To begin with, your Administration has treated the Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA) with utter disdain. Just imagine, for more than six years, your Administration, as an employer, has refused to sign the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the ABPSA, disenfranchising hundreds of workers - under your care - of earned and deserving benefits and increases. Unacceptable! Yet, you have the gall to point fingers at the ABWU which has consistently secured signed agreements from hoteliers. Even the said hoteliers that you accuse of exploiting workers have demonstrated far more respect for the process of industrial relations than your Administration has ever done! Instead of regular incremental increases to keep up with the out-of-control cost of living, you withhold what workers rightfully deserve and use it as a bargaining chip during the election season. In 2018, government workers saw a 5% increase, only on account of your disastrous handling of prior negotiations, and of course, the pending general elections. Again, in 2023 increases for public servants were a featured manifesto promise. Over a period of six years (2018-2024) your administration delivered only a 14% increase for public sector workers, while the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union persuaded the ABHTA to deliver almost 20% in increases over the same period. It is obvious that the Gaston Browne Administration has no genuine concern for the economic well-being of its own Public Sector workers, let alone hotel workers. Having examined your Administration’s record on labour issues, what moral or intellectual authority do you stand on when you criticize the gains that the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union has made on behalf of workers?
Gaston Browne, you deliberately misrepresented the ABWU’s role in the severance and rehiring matter with the Elite Group during the COVID-19 Pandemic. You specifically claim that “the union allowed” the hotelier to sever higher-paid workers and replace them with lower-paid workers. Contrary to your assertion, the facts of the matter show that it was the ABWU that relentlessly fought this matter and ultimately resolved it using the court system. Unlike your administration, we take our commitment to workers seriously. We rejected that arrangement whereby workers would have been deprived of the benefits and security of direct employment with the hotelier. Today, the minimum wage in that hotel group is at $11.50 and we are still negotiating to increase it. What representation and advocacy have you made for a reasonable increase in the national minimum wage, Mr Prime Minister? In fact, if you were genuinely aggrieved at the remunerations in the hotel industry – and not just trying to undermine the ABWU, you would have been advocating for the workers at Jolly Beach Resort and Spa, a hotel in which your Government has an interest. Why haven’t you shown leadership and used your influence to secure higher wages for these workers who are under your care? The truth is, neither the workers of Jolly Beach or any other hotel property are a priority for you. In your eyes, workers are pawns that you try to manipulate in order to get what you want. Shame on you Gaston Browne! The Jolly Beach Resort and Spa has been operational for more than two years and you have refused to let the Union in. We remind you and all the other principals that the ABWU is still the legally recognised bargaining agent for the workers of Jolly Beach and we await a response to the proposals that we have already submitted.
Your call for hotel workers to establish their own union with sponsorship and support from Gaston Browne – the record holder for the most insults and attacks on workers – will not have any traction for very obvious reasons. Meanwhile, the ABWU continues to thrive because we are delivering benefits for our members. Just last month, the ABWU hosted a vibrant meeting with members in our hospitality section. These workers spent several hours brainstorming plans and initiatives they can undertake with their union to improve the lives of all hotel workers. Gaston Browne, please don’t hold your breath waiting for these workers to come knocking at your door.
Lastly, we reiterate that the ABWU has made significant strides in defending the rights of workers and securing reasonable benefits and remunerations. However, if there is anything that has minimized the impact of our efforts it is the skyrocketing cost of living that this administration has done nothing to abate. In fact, you have worsened the situation with an unconscionable increase of 2% on the ABST in addition to the annual increases in Social Security contributions over the last few years. It is your insensitive and uncaring policies that have induced unnecessary hardship on the workers of this country. What has the Gaston Browne Administration done to bring relief to workers? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
We encourage all members of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ to continue to stand steadfast with your Union and we use this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to you. Let each of us continue to do our part in powering our economy knowing that together we will rise!
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