Antigua-Barbuda PM promises pay rise for public workers

Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister is promising a pay rise to all public sector workers in 2018.

Despite the cash-strapped treasury, Gaston Browne said he would position his government so increased ages would be possible.

“They have not had an increase for a long time,” he said on his own radio station, Point FM.

“We are an empowering institution and we want to make sure that we increase the living standards of the people; and I must be able to say too that real wages would have increased under the Labour Party.”

While the government is not in a position to give Christmas bonuses this year, Browne said they will be paying outstanding sums to various public servants.

“Going into Christmas, we have arrears we are going to make a determined effort to reduce those arrears,” the prime minister said.

“For example, I am pretty sure that CBH [Cnetral Board of Health] and solid waste workers, they will be paid.

“We will also make sure that we give the Barbuda council some money, the customs officers who are owed their overtime as well, we will pay them, Public Works.

“We can’t guarantee that we will pay all, but we will make some sizeable payments.”