It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Gaston Browne would use parliamentary immunity to lie to the Honourable House and to the Nation about the genesis of the industrial action recently taken by the Antigua & Barbuda Union of Teachers.

The United Progressive Party categorically denies the prime minister’s spurious claim – made in the Lower House today, May 15 – that senior members of the Party colluded with the Union’s leadership to prolong the teachers’ sit-in. Further, we challenge him to produce any evidence to support this falsehood.

We long for the day when Prime Minister Browne will be mature enough to accept responsibility for his Administration’s actions and – in this case – inaction and stop ascribing blame for its failures to the UPP.

Had the Browne Administration not _failed to honour_ its commitment to the teachers in a timely manner, there would have been no need for the Union to resort to the recent action. The sit-in was the consequence of the bad faith shown by both Finance Minister Browne and Education Minister Daryll Matthew, and the buck stops with them and them only.

This trend in which PM Browne fails government workers and then accuses them of politicizing their legitimate issues is not only childish but extremely tiring.

Unions exist to advocate for and defend their members – as the prime minister should know, as he is intent on creating such an organization, although for the sole purpose of control.

If he were to do right by the unions, their membership, and the public he is supposed to serve, such drastic industrial action by civil servants would never become necessary.