A widespread industrial action by service station operators has brought fuel distribution to a near-halt across Antigua, leaving thousands of motorists scrambling to secure gasoline and diesel on Tuesday. The majority of the island’s fuel retailers closed their pumps in a coordinated strike, action driven by years of unaddressed demands for higher profit margins that have become unsustainable amid skyrocketing operating costs.
Witnesses and local monitors report chaotic conditions at the handful of outlets that remained open throughout the day. Drivers began arriving before dawn to wait in snaking lines that stretched for blocks, many hoping to fill their tanks before available supplies ran out. The limited number of operational stations have been pushed to breaking point under the sudden surge in demand, with wait times often exceeding two hours for motorists.
The industrial action did not come without warning. Earlier this year, representatives from 21 of Antigua’s service stations submitted a formal letter to Prime Minister Gaston Browne laying out their grievances. Operators explained that current profit margins – which stand at roughly EC$1.08 per gallon of gasoline and 95 cents per gallon of diesel – have stayed largely static for years, even as wages, utility costs, and other overhead expenses have jumped dramatically. Retailers stressed they preferred a negotiated, amicable resolution to the dispute but made clear that work stoppage would be on the table if the government failed to deliver a satisfactory response to their demands.
Prime Minister Browne, who was notified of the impending shutdown on Monday night, has publicly slammed the timing of the industrial action. He emphasized that the Antiguan government has already eliminated its own margin on fuel sales to shield consumers from the ongoing surge in global petroleum prices, calling the strike poorly timed amid the current market volatility.
“I just got a call that gas station dealers are demanding an increase in their profit margin and threatening closure, at a time when the Government has eliminated its margin to keep prices down. Bad timing!” Browne told reporters. He added that the government has absorbed much of the increase in international crude costs, only passing a portion of higher prices to consumers to keep pump prices manageable while limiting public budget losses. Browne also claimed that no formal advance notice of the strike was submitted by operators, labeling the coordinated work stoppage a clandestine action.
Only a small number of outlets, including the West Indies Oil Company service station located on Friars Hill Road, have stayed open during the strike. As of Tuesday evening, there was no clear indication of how long the shutdown would last, nor had either side confirmed whether urgent bilateral negotiations would be scheduled to resolve the impasse.
The ongoing fuel disruption is already projected to hit daily life across Antigua hard. Commuters relying on private vehicles face severe shortages, public transit providers are struggling to keep routes running, and local businesses that depend on fuel for daily operations are bracing for significant financial losses as the standoff continues.