As the guardian of workers’ rights and well-being, the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) has long been at the forefront of efforts to review and modernise the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code. For several years — across successive government administrations— the Union, working in cooperation with employer groups, legal experts, and civil society, have made significant strides in keeping the Labour Code in tune with the changing dynamics of the world of work. Through key mechanisms such as the National Labour Board, several amendments have been made that have strengthened protections and improved conditions for workers throughout the country.

We are therefore appalled by a recent pronouncement by Honourable Minister of Labour, Sir Steadroy Benjamin, that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code “has never been reviewed,” since 1975. This statement is factually incorrect and disregards decades of work undertaken by a broad representation of stakeholders in labour relations in Antigua and Barbuda.

Among the significant reforms achieved over the years are Amendment No. 16 of 1998, which provided crucial definitions for various terms in the Code. Amendment No. 9 of 2019 addressed critical issues related to contract work and worker classification.

So significant have been efforts to modernise the Labour Code that a first reading of a comprehensive revision was tabled in Parliament during the latter period of the United Progressive Party’s term in office. Regrettably, after the change in government in 2014, the incoming Browne administration failed to give this bill a second or third reading after more than a decade—a delay that disadvantaged thousands of workers.

Despite these setbacks, the ABWU has remained actively engaged at the National Labour Board and continues to make robust contributions toward the ongoing revision of the Labour Code.

We call on the Labour Minister to exercise greater diligence and accuracy in his public statements. To deny or omit crucial facts about the progress we have made in modernizing the Labour Code is to try to erase the tireless work of dozens of stakeholders in labour relations who have endeavored to secure a fairer, more just labour system in Antigua and Barbuda.

Nevertheless, we remain committed to dialogue and cooperation in the interest of the thousands of workers across this country. We urge the Minister to fulfil his commitment and table a comprehensive revision of the Labour Code in Parliament within this legislative year.

The Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union will continue to stand firm in defence of the nation’s workers.