Workers at Antigua and Barbuda-based pastry firm Pastry Ltd., which operates under the trade name Epicurean, are set to see tangible improvements to their compensation and working conditions after the company finalized a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Antigua & Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU).
The landmark deal, which will take effect July 1, 2025 and run through June 30, 2028, delivers structured annual pay increases for both frontline line staff and supervisory personnel. Entry-level and frontline line employees will gain a $0.50 hourly raise each year of the agreement, a adjustment that works out to an annual pay increase of nearly 4 percent for most workers. For supervisory staff, the annual hourly raise is set at $0.80, which also delivers an annual average pay increase close to the 4 percent mark.
Beyond base salary adjustments, the agreement expands a range of supplementary benefits designed to ease workers’ job-related costs and improve work-life balance. Both worker cohorts will see upgrades to their meal allowances and call-out pay, while supervisory staff will receive an increased uniform allowance to cover the cost of work attire. One notable policy update expands paternity leave for eligible workers from three days to five full days, giving new fathers extra time to care for their newborns and build early bonds with their growing families.
The deal also addresses transportation safety and convenience for workers working late shifts. Under the previous company policy, workers ending shifts after 9 p.m. only received transportation to a local bus terminal; the updated agreement guarantees direct private transport from the workplace to employees’ homes, eliminating the need for late-night public transit connections.
A new death-in-service benefit has also been added to the contract, providing critical financial support to the families of employees who pass away while still actively employed by the company.
Kem Riley, who serves as both ABWU President and Senior Industrial Relations Officer, characterized the negotiations as collaborative and productive. “We are pleased to conclude these negotiations which resulted in a fair package of benefits for the workers,” Riley said in a statement following the signing. He added that the union’s core priority throughout the bargaining process was to ensure worker compensation kept up with the country’s rising cost of living, while supplementary benefits would cut down on out-of-pocket job-related expenses and reduce daily inconveniences for employees.