Prime Minister Gaston Browne is re-emphasising the point he first raised at Labour
Day that workers in the hotel sector should be enjoying the benefits of the
economic growth that has been taking place in the country, especially after the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne show on Saturday, PM Browne said his
administration has spent most of the last ten years attracting millions of dollars in
investments for the hotel sector. It is this expansion in hotels rooms that has helped
to drive the expansion that is being felt throughout the country.
According to the prime minister it is more than an irony that the hotels, a key part
of the economic growth that has averaged approximately 8 percent per annual over
the last two-three years, are driving the growth, yet their workers continue to lag
behind in terms of salaries and wages and other benefits.
“We are expanding the economy; we are creating more opportunities for workers
in this country so there’s an opportunity now for workers to make more money.
We want Antiguans and Barbudans, all citizens, to enjoy a living standard that is
second to none. That is why we are pushing the Antigua and Barbuda Workers
Union to do more for hotel workers,” he stated.
The prime minister is of the view that the ABWU has gone ‘dormant’ especially
regarding hotel workers and he has suggested that the Antigua Trades and Labour
Union should ‘push’ the ABWU to do better.
“They need to understand that their primary objective is to improve the lot of
workers. I am not asking them to make any unreasonable demands on hoteliers, but
what we have noticed is that the union seems to want to push for excessive
increases when they have to deal with public corporations such as the Antigua Port
Authority, whilst in the other hand there is no agitation for wages increases within
the hotel sector,” PM Browne observed.
He said the government has to ‘push’ the ABWU to take a more aggressive stance
for the hotel workers so that they too can enjoy getting mortgages, secure car loans
and other privileges that other groups of workers in the country enjoy.
Contrastingly, taxi operators who ply their trade among cruise ship passengers
were able to secure increases this year that have been accepted by the Florida
Caribbean Cruise Association. Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez was deeply
involved in the negotiations with the FCCA on behalf of the taxi-men and women.
