The government of Antigua and Barbuda has unveiled a comprehensive modernization plan for public service compensation, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne announcing during Thursday’s 2026 national budget presentation that all civil servants will receive upgraded salaries by July 2026. This initiative comes as the administration completes an extensive nationwide reclassification exercise designed to contemporary compensation structures across the public sector.
Browne detailed to Parliament that the salary enhancements will be integrated within a broader transformation of the wage negotiation framework, establishing a more systematic and predictable approach to compensation adjustments. The government has proactively engaged labor unions, already soliciting their proposals through a newly established framework intended to prevent the protracted delays that have historically characterized salary negotiations.
“Civil servants will also benefit from a further upgrade in pay as a result of the reclassification that will be completed by July 2026,” Browne stated, emphasizing the government’s restructuring of the collective bargaining process to ensure implementation deadlines are met.
The Prime Minister framed these measures as reflective of the administration’s dedication to equitable treatment, workplace stability, and enhanced conditions for public sector employees. He pointed to the government’s track record on worker compensation as evidence of its commitment to honoring obligations, citing the clearance of over $60 million in retroactive wages since 2022, with additional payments scheduled for this month. This comprehensive settlement includes former public servants who departed before December 2022, ensuring all eligible workers receive owed compensation.
Browne concluded that these combined efforts—both the upcoming salary upgrades and ongoing systemic reforms—will cultivate a more modern and efficient public service apparatus. The budget debate is set to continue next week, with ministers expected to provide detailed analyses of how the reclassification and new wage negotiation system will impact specific sectors.