Minimum wages to go up in Antigua and Barbuda, announces PM Gaston Browne

In a decision that would excite public servants at the beginning of the new year, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has unveiled plans for another hike in the country’s minimum wage figures. 

The imminent rise would be the third under the Labour leader’s decade-long governance, reinforcing its commitment to make the livelihoods of workers on the island-nation better and strive for equitable economic growth. 

“Very shortly, we’ll be increasing the minimum wage again,” Browne, also the minister of finance, was cited as saying in a report. He also emphasized that the rise in wages is part of a broader ploy to make the country’s economic progress all-inclusive. 

Additionally, the prime minister also underscored his government’s consistency in raising pay in the public sector. He said never in the history of the public sector did its workers saw such routine hikes.

“One of the areas of success of my administration is that we continue to routinely increase minimum wage. We have done it twice and very shortly, we will be increasing minimum wage again,” he told a local media channel. 

The last time Antigua and Barbuda saw an increase in the minimum wage was on January 1, 2023, when it was raised from EC$8.20 to EC$9 per hour.

PM Browne did not give an exact timeframe for the raise but assured the public servants that his government is firm on seeing that the compensation is fair. 

“As the economy grows, we want public servants and workers in general to share equitably in the gains,” he said. 

Browne said the public sector workers never had to go on a strike or protest for a raise in wage during his tenure as negotiations were successful. 

“We will commence negotiations for yet another increase, and hopefully, we can pay that by next year,” he said.

PM urges private sector to follow suit

Browne asked the private-sector employers of the country to follow in the government’s footsteps when it comes to increasing wages. Calling workers the country’s most significant assets, both in the public and private sectors, he said they “must share equitably in the gains” Antigua and Barbuda makes. 

The decision to increase wages is consistent with the Browne-led government’s economic policies that have featured higher public spending and increased fiscal responsibility aimed at incentivizing sustainable growth and making citizens’ lives better. 

Browne argued for better pay in hotel sector last year

The latest development comes 10 months after PM Browne advocated for better pay to hotel workers in Antigua and Barbuda, citing a strong growth in the country’s tourism sector and the profits the hospitality sector was making. He had disagreed with the hotels’ claims that they kept salaries low since the sector was not doing well. 

Browne claimed that the hotel industry was witnessing a significant annual expansion which means they were making profits. He also expressed disappointment that the unions were not doing enough to take up the case of the hotel workers they were representing to put pressure on the hotels to increase wages. The PM also had discussed plans then to raise the minimum wage so that the hotel workers’ warnings were close to the minimum pay.

That episode made evident the efforts that the Browne-led government was making to bring improvements in working conditions across sectors so that the livelihoods of all citizens get a boost.  

People came up with various reactions to the prime minister’s announcement. While one asked whether teachers would also see a revision in their payments, another wondered when would the revised pay come into effect since Browne did not give a firm commitment. A third said a system should also be in place to monitor private security firms alleging that they were not paying their workers reasonably.