Delivered at a landmark Labour Day gathering honoring three-quarters of a century of organized labor in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced a bold reorientation of the country’s worker compensation policy: the administration is moving beyond outdated minimum wage frameworks to prioritize a livable wage that aligns with the real cost of living for working people. The policy shift was revealed during the joint rally held by the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, where Browne framed the change as a central pillar of the administration’s broader mission to raise living standards across the country. “We’re also moving from a minimum wage to a livable wage,” Browne told the assembled crowd of union members, workers, and political supporters. The prime minister explained that this new policy direction grows out of incremental salary increases already being rolled out, as the government works to guarantee that every working resident can cover their basic needs and build a higher quality of life. Unlike rigid minimum wage policies that often fail to keep pace with rising living costs, a livable wage framework is designed to ensure earnings match the actual cost of housing, food, healthcare and other essentials. However, Browne emphasized that improved compensation must go hand in hand with increased productivity across all sectors of the workforce. “You must increase your productivity,” he said, stressing that long-term, sustained economic progress can only be achieved when workers match wage gains with stronger performance. The prime minister made clear that the government is committed to balancing rising worker earnings with steady economic expansion, pointing to consistent growth across the nation’s key industries as evidence that this balanced approach is already working. Sunday’s Labour Day rally carried extra significance this year, as it marked the 75th anniversary of Antigua and Barbuda’s formal labor movement, with the entire event centered on advancing worker interests and securing long-term economic stability for the nation. Browne concluded by reaffirming that the transition to a livable wage will remain a top policy priority for his administration, designed to ensure that broad national economic growth translates into tangible, meaningful improvements in the daily lives of working people across Antigua and Barbuda.