A major milestone for labor representation in Antigua’s energy sector has been reached, as the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) has officially kicked off the process to negotiate a formal Collective Bargaining Agreement for supervisory staff at the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC).
To lay the groundwork for the talks, AT&LU President Bernard de Nully and the union’s on-site shop stewards gathered recently for the inaugural structured meeting with members of WIOC’s newly recognized Supervisory Unit, which now falls under the union’s official representation. The interactive session created a structured space for participating supervisors to lay out their core workplace priorities, from compensation structures to working condition adjustments, all of which will be incorporated into the formal proposals the union will ultimately present to WIOC’s senior leadership.
In comments following the meeting, de Nully emphasized the long-term value of the anticipated agreement. Beyond setting formal employment terms, he explained, the document will embed robust legal and procedural protections that safeguard the supervisors’ long-standing rights, comprehensive benefit packages, and earned employment entitlements for years to come.
The development has already received positive endorsement from the Caribbean Congress of Labour, the regional body coordinating labor organizing across the Caribbean bloc. The organization framed the AT&LU’s initiative as a consequential step forward for expanding robust worker representation and strengthening the role of trade unionism across the entire Caribbean region.
Beyond formalizing employment terms, the regional body noted that the bargaining process will empower WIOC’s supervisory staff by giving them a unified, collective voice in corporate decisions that directly shape their day-to-day working environments. The Caribbean Congress of Labour also used the opportunity to reaffirm its ongoing, unwavering support for all trade unions across the Caribbean that are working to advance better employment conditions, protect fundamental collective bargaining rights, achieve universally accessible decent work, and advance systemic social justice for workers across all sectors.