The Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) has issued a forceful response to Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s announcement of additional funds for former LIAT 1974 Ltd. employees, characterizing the government’s approach as fundamentally inadequate and unjust.
While acknowledging that financial assistance provides temporary relief, the union maintains an uncompromising position that displaced aviation workers must receive their full severance entitlements. The ABWU emphasizes that severance constitutes an earned right resulting from years of dedicated service, not a charitable donation or discretionary gesture.
The labor organization has condemned the administration’s persistent refusal to acknowledge workers’ legitimate claims to severance payments, describing the government’s posture as both cruel and unjust. This stance has reportedly inflicted extended hardship on hundreds of former employees and their dependent families.
The union characterizes the government’s intermittent payment offers as insufficient measures that highlight official apathy toward affected workers. The ABWU suggests that a credible demonstration of good faith would involve honoring severance for those with smaller outstanding balances while establishing a transparent framework for addressing larger payments as resources permit.
Contradicting Prime Minister Browne’s claims of maintained dialogue, the union reveals that the administration has systematically excluded legally appointed worker representatives from substantive discussions for five consecutive years. This exclusionary approach appears particularly inconsistent with the government’s professed ‘pro-labour philosophy.’
The ABWU concludes by demanding the replacement of what it terms ‘domineering approaches’ with constructive dialogue aimed at achieving a fair and humane resolution that acknowledges workers’ dignity and rightful claims.