In a significant development for organized labor in Antigua and Barbuda, the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) has earned formal designation as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for supervisory employees at the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), one of the nation’s largest corporate entities.
Official confirmation of the appointment came via a formal certificate issued by Labour Commissioner Eltonia David on July 23. The documentation verifies that a majority of WIOC’s supervisory workforce cast their votes in favor of AT&LU taking on the representative role. Under the provisions of Antigua and Barbuda’s national Labour Code, this official designation grants the union sole legal authority to negotiate on behalf of the covered supervisory employees in all workplace and employment-related matters.
AT&LU President Bernard de Nully formally welcomed the new group of WIOC workers into the union’s ranks in remarks following the certification. He emphasized that the organization is fully prepared to robustly advance and protect the professional interests of the supervisory staff during upcoming collective bargaining negotiations with WIOC company leadership.
Beyond the immediate benefits for the workers involved, de Nully framed the appointment as a strategic milestone for the union. The selection expands AT&LU’s organizational footprint at WIOC, a major economic player in Antigua and Barbuda, while also addressing a longstanding gap by giving the facility’s supervisory personnel formal, legally recognized representation for their workplace concerns.