Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Gaston Browne says the government has begun disbursing the final tranche of retroactive wages owed to public-sector employees under the 2018–2023 wage agreement, marking the end of that negotiating cycle.
According to the Prime Minister, the Treasury Department is processing the third retroactive payout, and payments to serving employees are expected to be completed within 48 hours. Workers who have since left the public service, including retirees, are expected to receive their remaining balances by the end of the week.
Browne said the disbursements cover the full range of government employment categories, including established and non-established staff, as well as weekly- and monthly-paid workers. He added that with the previous negotiating period now concluded, the administration intends to keep compensation current, avoiding a build-up of arrears.
Further details on eligibility were outlined in a Monday circular issued by Deputy Financial Secretary Carolyn Charles-Tonge, who confirmed that Cabinet approved the additional payout at its December 15, 2025, meeting. The payment is equivalent to one month’s gross basic salary and applies to eligible non-established public sector employees who were in government service on or before December 31, 2024, and who remain employed.
The installment follows earlier retroactive payments made in December 2022 and December 2024, under terms agreed with the relevant bargaining agents. Employees whose remaining balance after the first two payments is less than one month’s salary will receive the outstanding amount in full.
Workers who retired or resigned on or before December 31, 2025, will also be paid up to one or two months’ salary, based on current wage rates, to settle any remaining balance.
Excluded from the payout are parliamentarians and ministers, judges, participants in the Work Experience Programme, and contract officers whose agreements did not include negotiated salary increases.
Officials say the payout aligns with the government’s broader effort to settle outstanding wage liabilities, maintain fiscal stability, and regularize public-sector compensation.
The Ministry of Finance said no additional documentation is required from employees. Payments have already begun, with active employees expected to be settled within 48 hours and other cases completed by January 31, 2026. Further information on any remaining retroactive balances will be communicated at a later date.
