标签： Antigua and Barbuda

At the 87th Annual Delegates’ Conference of the Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU), union president Bernard de Nully has brought long-simmering public-sector labor grievances back into the spotlight, placing urgent focus on the years-long dispute over unpaid overtime for workers at the ABS facility.

De Nully emphasized that despite a clear legal ruling already ordering the disbursement of owed overtime payments to the ABS workforce, the case has dragged on for years without any tangible resolution for the affected employees. He noted that these workers have continued to fulfill their professional duties in good faith throughout the prolonged delay, but mounting frustration has become overwhelming for many of them. “Payments to ABS workers should be paid forthwith. Right is right and wrong is wrong,” de Nully stated firmly during his address to conference delegates.

The ABS overtime dispute is far from an isolated case, according to the union leader. He detailed that a host of unresolved labor complaints have plagued public-sector workers across the twin-island nation, with some outstanding issues remaining unaddressed for anywhere between 10 and 20 years. Past worker protests at three major public institutions — the Central Board of Health, the Solid Waste Management department, and the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre — serve as stark examples of the unrest stemming from these unaddressed grievances, he added.

De Nully used the conference, held this year under the unifying theme of “developing stronger workers for a stronger future,” to urge the union’s membership to maintain solidarity in their push for resolution. He warned that internal divisions among workers would erode the hard-won gains that have been secured through decades of collective bargaining, undermining the labor movement’s ability to advocate for fair treatment.

Representing more than 10,000 workers across Antigua and Barbuda, the AT&LU remains one of the most prominent organized labor voices in the country, and its annual conference serves as a key platform to surface and push for action on systemic workplace issues affecting public and private sector employees alike.

Local events organization DJ Jime Events has stepped up to support at-risk young people through a $5,000 donation to the Youth Intervention Unit, a community organization that works with students facing disciplinary challenges. The generous contribution will directly fund the development of a specialized new rehabilitation wing, expanding the unit’s capacity to deliver critical support to youth in need.

DJ Jime Events says the donation underscores its long-standing commitment to investing in the next generation, and backing community programs that help young people navigate challenges and make positive life choices. For many students who face suspension from traditional school environments, the Youth Intervention Unit fills a critical gap by providing a structured, supportive alternative to staying home unsupervised during their suspension period.

Instead of allowing suspended students to fall through the cracks, the organization offers a range of targeted programming designed to address the root causes of challenging behavior. Its services include guided conflict resolution training, practical life-skills development, one-on-one and group counselling, and other evidence-based intervention strategies that work to de-escalate tense situations and prevent future issues from escalating. The new rehabilitation wing will allow the unit to serve more young people and deepen the impact of these critical community services, creating a more supportive pathway for youth to get back on track and re-engage with school and their communities.

As one of the Caribbean nation’s oldest and most influential labor organizations, the Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) has closed its 87th Annual Delegates Conference with widespread acclaim, with union president Bernard de Nully confirming the two-day gathering exceeded both leadership and member expectations. Representing more than 10,000 workers across dozens of public and private sector workplaces, the AT&LU designed its annual conference as a core democratic platform for leadership to share a transparent assessment of the organization’s annual achievements and ongoing challenges with a broad cross-section of its rank-and-file membership.

The conference opened on the afternoon of Sunday, September 27, 2026, kicking off a more than three-hour ceremonial opening session filled with a packed schedule of meaningful programming. The event opened with interfaith prayers and vibrant cultural performances, followed by a series of keynote addresses and formal presentations that left attendees energized. Senator Angelica O’Donoghue delivered remarks on behalf of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, the historic political body closely affiliated with the AT&LU. Next, prominent local public figure Dr. Clarence Pilgrim took the stage to cover a wide range of labor topics, including a call to revive the Workers’ Voice Newspaper — the historical publication that first propelled the AT&LU to national prominence in its early founding years. Following Dr. Pilgrim’s address, the head of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus Antigua branch presented 39 completion certificates to AT&LU members who had finished short professional development courses through the institution. The campus head also noted that the UWI Global Campus offers full academic credentials ranging from undergraduate degrees all the way to doctoral programs for interested union members. The opening session concluded with statements read aloud from affiliate institutions across the Caribbean and local sister unions, all of which congratulated the AT&LU on 87 years of advancing worker rights and lifting labor standards across the nation. President de Nully delivered closing opening remarks, reaffirming the conference’s central theme that “strong workers create a strong future,” a message that received an enthusiastic response from the assembled delegates.

The second day of the conference, held on September 28, shifted to focused internal business and organizational governance. The agenda opened with a formal roll call of the nearly 80 workplaces where the AT&LU holds active collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with employers. Conference attendees were reminded that these CBAs set standardized wage and salary levels, formalize fair working conditions, and establish job security protections for both workers and employers, with built-in dispute resolution frameworks included in nearly all active contracts.

After the roll call concluded, minutes from the 2025 Annual Delegates Conference were read aloud and formally approved by the assembled body. Treasurer Leslie-Ann Yearwood then presented the union’s annual financial report, detailing the organization’s current fiscal position. The AT&LU recorded a small operating surplus for the past year, though a large portion of the union’s savings was allocated to the renovation of its iconic historic headquarters at 46 North Street. Yearwood emphasized that despite the draw on reserves, the union remains on solid financial footing, with a still-substantial surplus that leaves it far from insolvency.

AT&LU General Secretary Alrick Daniel followed the financial report with a summary of his 24-page annual organizational report, delivering a 20-minute overview that highlighted the union’s ongoing success in meeting the needs of its represented workers. In his remarks, Daniel issued a warning about newly formed labor unions that are attempting to poach members from the AT&LU by making unrealistic promises that they cannot deliver. He stressed that these new groups can only convince workers to leave the AT&LU by spreading false claims about their ability to deliver better gains.

President de Nully also addressed a longstanding inequity in government workplaces, where non-established workers often receive special allowances that are not available to their established colleagues. He pledged that the union would prioritize correcting this injustice in upcoming collective bargaining negotiations. De Nully then opened the floor for any other general business, with two topics raised for future discussion: a call to improve the union’s public outreach to better highlight its wins for the general public, and a proposal to increase the standard $5.00 weekly union dues. No final resolution was reached on the dues proposal during the conference.

With all business concluded, the conference closed with a final prayer and a group singing of “The Red Flag,” bringing the 87th Annual AT&LU Delegates Conference to a formal end. The event closed with a round of enthusiastic applause from delegates ahead of a closing luncheon.

The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that an 18-year-old local from Barbuda has been placed in pre-trial detention at His Majesty’s Prison following a court appearance on multiple breaking and entering charges.

Aaron Williams appeared before Magistrate Mighty at the Barbuda Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, to face four separate criminal charges linked to a series of break-in incidents across the island between September 17 and September 25 this year.

Court documents outline the first allegation: on September 17, Williams is accused of unlawfully breaking into a female resident’s home with the explicit intention of committing larceny. Just six days later, on September 23, he faces a second charge of breaking and entering the residence of a male resident, where prosecutors allege he stole two Samsung mobile devices alongside additional personal property. The total estimated value of the stolen items amounts to 3,215 Eastern Caribbean dollars.

A third burglary charge stems from an unrelated incident that took place on September 24, while the fourth and final charge accuses Williams of another residential break-in on September 25, again with intent to commit theft.

After the brief initial court hearing, magistrate ordered Williams to be remanded to His Majesty’s Prison to await his next court proceeding. He is scheduled to appear back before the court on December 18, 2026, for the next phase of the legal process.

A sitting member of Parliament for the Caribbean island of Barbuda has sounded a urgent public alarm over a sharp, destabilizing rise in residential break-ins, telling national legislators that property crimes are now occurring every single week on the small island. Trevor Walker brought the pressing public safety issue to the floor of Parliament during ongoing debate over the 2026 Firearms (Amendment) Bill, a legislative package crafted to introduce harsher penalties and stricter regulatory measures aimed at curbing gun-related violence and other high-priority criminal offenses across the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

During his remarks to the legislative body, Walker shared a personal, recent example of the crisis, confirming that a home owned by a relative of his wife was targeted by burglars just last Friday. The MP went on to connect the growing frequency of break-ins to a longstanding concern he has held: the relocation of convicted repeat offenders and individuals with active criminal histories from the larger island of Antigua to Barbuda following their release from incarceration.

Walker told fellow lawmakers that dozens of relocated offenders currently residing in Barbuda are legally required to check in regularly with local police, and that on any given day, multiple people can be seen completing this mandatory reporting at the island’s central police station. He even shared that he wishes he held the legal authority to remove these individuals from Barbuda, a remark that comes despite the fact that free movement between Antigua and Barbuda is guaranteed as unrestricted domestic travel within the single sovereign nation.

The MP’s comments aligned with the broader goals of the proposed firearms legislation, as he made clear he fully supports government efforts to crack down on violent crime and emphasized he holds a stance of “zero tolerance” for the current elevated levels of criminal activity on his constituent island. Walker also used the opportunity to call for increased and improved resourcing for the small detachment of police officers permanently stationed in Barbuda, specifically highlighting the need for additional patrol vehicles to help officers respond more effectively to emerging reports of crime.

He was careful to acknowledge and praise the existing work of police leadership and frontline officers in Barbuda, noting that local law enforcement already responds actively and diligently to every reported incident. Even with that recognition, he stressed that the current volume of criminal activity outpaces the resources available to local police, making additional investments non-negotiable.

Walker doubled down on his concern about repeat offenders, noting that the recent break-in at his relative’s home was especially disconcerting because the primary suspect is believed to be someone who has already been convicted of multiple prior offenses. Closing his remarks, the MP argued that meaningful progress on the island’s crime crisis requires both tougher, clearer legislation and consistent, effective enforcement. He emphasized that local residents should not be forced to accept weekly burglaries and persistent criminal activity as a normal part of daily life on the island.