Former employees of LIAT 1974 Ltd based in Antigua and Barbuda are to receive a second tranche of compassionate payments from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, funded through the government’s bond issue.
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Gaston Browne said the government will make an additional EC$2 million payment to former LIAT 1974 workers, following an earlier disbursement.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the payment is not a legal obligation but a compassionate intervention in response to the hardship employees displaced by the airline’s liquidation face.
“This is a gratuitous payment. There is no legal basis to do so,” Browne said, noting that the administration’s decision reflects its pro-labour philosophy and its desire to respond equitably to workers affected by the collapse of LIAT 1974 Ltd.
Browne acknowledged that some former workers and trade unions may remain dissatisfied, particularly given the absence of full severance payments after LIAT’s closure. However, he said the government remains committed to continued engagement and dialogue, and to taking reasonable steps to ameliorate the circumstances of Antiguans and Barbudans left without severance, within the limits of the public purse.
Former LIAT 1974 employees will be required to confirm their details with the appointed administrator for the now-defunct carrier to receive payment.
LIAT 1974 Ltd ceased operations in 2020 and was formally liquidated in 2024, leaving hundreds of employees across the region without severance. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has since maintained that, while it was not legally responsible for severance obligations, it has sought to provide limited financial relief on compassionate grounds and has kept channels open with affected workers.