ABUT, government sign new collective bargaining agreement

The Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers says its ‘elated’ to have signed a new
collective bargaining agreement with the Antigua and Barbuda government.
The signing ceremony took pace on Thursday with the Chief Establishment
Officer, Francia Shepperd representing the government and the ABUT represented
by its President, Casroy Charles and Secretary General, Sharon Kelsick. The
agreement covers the 14 percent increase that all classes of public sector workers
received and it is backdated to January 2018. It expires in December 31, 2024.
Shepperd stated that this is the first agreement signed between the two parties since
2008, and she is particularly pleased that as an executive that was elected in 2022,
it has been able to finally reach and sign an agreement with the government.
The new collective bargaining agreement also covers several of the issues over
which the union and the government have been at loggerheads over the past several
years. These include increased security at the nation’s schools, duty-free
allowances for teachers on the purchase of a motor vehicle as well as a re-
classification of all teachers.
“It was a hard-fought battle and it took a long time to be completed but we finally
got to this point and much of this has been based on the good working relationship
between the Chief Establishment Officer and ourselves. We wish to also thank our
negotiation team led by former president, Dr. Colin Greene, the executive of the
ABUT and our membership for supporting us all the way,” she remarked.
The ABUT has a membership of approximately 1300 teachers from the public
sector as well as members from a number of private schools in the country.
Kelsick described the process as providing many challenges but the negotiation
team ‘worked hard’ and now they are seeing the ‘fruits of their labour’.