标签： Antigua and Barbuda

As Antigua and Barbuda’s main labor organization continues to bridge the knowledge gap for young people entering the job market, graduating seniors at the Antigua & Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) gained hands-on, practical insight into employee protections and workplace entitlements this week.

The interactive workshop, headed by Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) President Kem Riley, centered its discussion on Section C of the country’s official Labour Code. Over the session, attendees walked through a range of high-stakes, commonly misunderstood topics, from required employment paperwork and standard working hour regulations to overtime compensation, premium pay guarantees, paid sick leave entitlements, and the fundamental legal right to organize through a union.

Tailored specifically for students who are gearing up to complete mandatory internships as a key requirement of their degree programs, the session was structured to encourage open dialogue around employer expectations and the legal safeguards that protect entry-level workers. Many young people transition into full or part-time employment and internships without a clear grasp of the rights guaranteed to them under local labor law, Riley explained, making this proactive education a core priority for the union’s youth outreach strategy.

“This workshop series has been a staple of our work for several years running, and we view it as a central part of ABWU’s core mandate to educate the next generation of workers,” Riley shared in remarks during the event. “This kind of grassroots education is the foundation of our work to defend and expand the rights and benefits that all working people are entitled to.”

Student feedback on the training was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees highlighting that the session filled a critical gap in their academic preparation for the workforce. One final-year Public Administration student noted that the group had absorbed an enormous amount of actionable information in just a single session. Another student added that the presentation demystified the role of unions and workplace advocacy for early-career workers, a topic that rarely gets covered in standard college coursework.

“ I now have a much clearer understanding of what it means to be part of a union, and how I can advocate for myself and stand up for my rights in the workplace,” the student said.

As the cohort prepares to enter their internships and cross the graduation stage in the coming months, the ABWU closed the session by extending well wishes to all participating students, emphasizing that the union remains a resource for them as they begin their professional journeys.

The Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission (ABRSC) has formally concluded its landmark youth-focused essay competition, drawing nearly 20 original submissions from motivated secondary, college, and university students across the twin-island nation. Designed to spark critical dialogue around a pressing issue of regional historical and social importance, the competition centered on the theme “Reparatory Justice: Reflection and Projection,” which challenged participating students to explore the core meaning, ongoing relevance, and future trajectory of reparatory justice both within Antigua and Barbuda and across the broader Caribbean community.

This initiative is one of many ongoing efforts by the ABRSC to advance its core mission: expanding public education, driving advocacy for reparations, and centering youth voices in conversations about historical justice. Commission leaders have expressed sincere encouragement over both the volume of participation and the depth of engagement young people demonstrated for a topic that shapes modern discussions of equity, national development, cultural identity, and redress for historical harms. All participants earned high praise from the ABRSC for investing the time to conduct independent research, reflect deeply on their own perspectives, and articulate thoughtful arguments around this complex social issue.

At present, all submitted essays are undergoing evaluation by a diverse panel of judges assembled to ensure a fair and comprehensive review. The panel brings together cross-sector expertise, including academic researchers, long-time reparatory justice advocates, published writers, and creative practitioners. The ABRSC has noted that this broad, multidisciplinary makeup of the judging panel guarantees that all submissions will receive a balanced, thoughtful assessment that accounts for multiple perspectives on the topic.

Per the competition timeline, winners will be officially announced on May 22, 2026, timed to align with commemorations of African Liberation Day, which is marked globally on May 25. A formal prize-giving ceremony to honor top-performing participants will follow one week later, scheduled for May 29, 2026.

In closing, the ABRSC extended gratitude to all students who submitted entries, as well as to the educators and educational institutions that supported student participation and encouraged young people to engage with the topic. The commission reaffirmed its long-term commitment to building broader public awareness of reparatory justice, creating more accessible opportunities for public engagement, and cultivating inclusive spaces where young people can contribute their unique perspectives to this ongoing national and regional conversation.

A tragic workplace fatality has shaken a local community after a municipal waste management worker was killed by a passing bus Tuesday morning while performing routine grass-cutting maintenance along All Saints Road.

The worker, who was contracted to the National Solid Waste Management Authority, was carrying out roadside vegetation trimming when the collision occurred, according to initial law enforcement accounts. Emergency responders who arrived at the scene confirmed the man suffered catastrophic, life-ending trauma in the incident and was pronounced dead immediately after the crash.

As news of the sudden death spread across the neighborhood, colleagues who were working alongside the victim and local residents were left deeply disturbed by the traumatic event. Many on-site witnesses reported lingering shock in the hours following the collision, as the dangerous reality of roadside municipal work was brought into sharp focus.

Local law enforcement officials and emergency service teams were dispatched to the crash location within minutes of the first 911 call, and have since cordoned off the section of All Saints Road to conduct forensic evidence gathering. Investigations remain active as authorities work to piece together the full sequence of events, including factors such as traffic conditions, visibility at the time of the collision, and whether any additional contributing elements led to the fatal incident.

As of the latest media update, officials have not yet released the formal identity of the deceased worker, pending notification of next of kin. A content warning accompanies on-site footage of the crash, as the recorded material contains graphic imagery from the fatal accident scene that may cause distress to sensitive audiences.

A new opportunity for skills advancement has opened for members of Antigua’s oldest trade union, with the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) rolling out 10 full scholarships for continuing professional education courses hosted by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus Antigua and Barbuda.

To qualify for the funding, applicants must hold active AT&LU membership with a tenure of at least two years, and satisfy all entry prerequisites set out by the UWI Global Campus administration. The scholarship covers all tuition costs for approved 10-week short courses, which are scheduled to kick off the week of May 25. Participants can select from a wide range of industry-relevant subjects tailored to both career growth and entrepreneurial ambition, spanning customer service management, effective leadership strategy, entrepreneurship and business development, financial management, human resource management, project management, supervisory management, real estate economics and appraisals, and community and family work.

All course instruction will be delivered fully online to accommodate working professionals, offering flexible scheduling that aligns with members’ existing job responsibilities. Without the scholarship, individual course tuition would range from Eastern Caribbean $650 to Eastern Caribbean $800, varying based on the specific program selected.

For union members interested in claiming this opportunity, the application deadline is set for May 15, 2026, giving interested candidates multiple years to prepare their submissions and confirm their eligibility with both the union and the university. This initiative marks a collaborative effort between the AT&LU and the UWI Global Campus to upskill the local workforce and expand professional access for working people across Antigua and Barbuda.

A cohort of vocational trainees from Antigua and Barbuda has completed an intensive specialized training course through the King’s Foundation Building Craft Programme in the United Kingdom, and has now returned to their home country ready to put their new expertise into practice. At the V.C. Bird International Airport, the returning group received a formal welcome from Dr. E. Jonah Greene, president of the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), the local institutional partner coordinating the skills initiative. As the trainees settle back into local life, they are preparing to roll out their updated competencies across heritage and construction projects across the twin-island nation.

Per details shared by ABCAS, the UK-based training program was designed to immerse participants in two critical skill sets: time-honored traditional building crafts that are essential for restoring and maintaining historic structures, and cutting-edge climate-resilient construction techniques tailored to the unique environmental challenges facing small island developing states like Antigua and Barbuda. These skills directly address two long-term national priorities: preserving the country’s irreplaceable cultural heritage and building infrastructure that can withstand the growing impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels and more intense tropical storms.

The training forms part of a sustained, coordinated national strategy to upskill local workers in high-demand specialized fields. By equipping Antigua and Barbuda residents with these niche construction and preservation capabilities, the initiative supports the country’s broader push to expand resilient infrastructure development and boost heritage tourism, a key economic driver for the nation. Moving forward, the newly trained cohort is expected to play a central role in advancing both conservation and sustainable development goals across Antigua and Barbuda.

The tight-knit circle of friends and supporters of Christopher “Young Luiy” Howell has opened a public appeal for financial help, stepping forward to cover end-of-life burial expenses after Howell’s recent passing.

Shared across local community networks, a promotional flyer for the fundraiser honors Howell’s memory with the warm tribute “forever in our hearts”, and outlines the core goal of the initiative: to grant Howell the dignified, loving farewell he deserves after his unexpected departure.

As grieving family members and close loved ones navigate the heavy emotional weight of their loss, the community-driven fundraising effort has emerged as a collective act of support, bringing together acquaintances and strangers alike to honor Howell’s legacy and ease the unexpected financial burden that accompanies a loved one’s death.