AG denies that he threatened to have ABS staff arrested

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Benjamin

ABS

Attorney General and Labour Minister Hon. Steadroy Benjamin has categorically denied suggesting ABS staff could be arrested under the provisions of the Essential Services Act if they do not work as scheduled on the upcoming public holidays. The Attorney General says the issue of arrest does not arise since violations under the Essential Services Act are midemeanours, not felonies and are therefore not arrestible offences.

AG Benjamin makes it clear that in discussions with the Antigua Trades and Labour Union which represents staffers at the public broadcaster, he indicted the provisions of the Essential Services Act are clear in circumstances where employees refuse to work as scheduled. He says while such employees would not be arrested, they could be liable to be charged and face fines.

Some employees had indicated their unwillingness to work on the public holidays citing non-payment of some overtime payments.

The Attorney General has been brokering talks between the Union and the ABS’ management to amicably address concerns over outstanding overtime payments. He expects the issue will be addressed. He announced that today in cabinet, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hon. Gaston Browne indicated that outstanding overtime payments will be paid as soon as the exact sums of money due and payable to the affected ABS staffers has been ascertained by a committee set up for this purpose. The committee comprises the ABS mamagement, the representatives of the AT&LU, and other appointed members of ABS staff, management of ABS and lawyers from the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Where’s the #Hot #Mike, Cellphone recording and the likes?

    The #Truth is stranger than fiction! The #Truth has already being told!

    • BRIGGA DING BIFF!!! daz de sound of yo business collapsing 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 FAIL! FAIL! FAIL! And u warn blame Antigua fu u BUSINESS FAILURE!!! Mind u bizniz day a meriKKKa

  2. Backtracking, u-turning, spin around, walking backwards, moon walking, grandstanding, crawling on your hands and knees, rebounds … anyway you look at it Steadroy Benjamin is in retreat and looking for a way to save he face.

    Be careful that you are not caught in TRAPS that you set for others.

    REMEMBER, MR BENJAMIN, ANANSI ROPE TIE HIM MAASA …

  4. The ABS staff should proceed with the strike tomorrow. What about all of the essential services that we the people have been deprived? Who holds the government accountable?

  5. Thank you! He’s obsessed with ABS while fire fighters don’t even have a fire truck. Misplaced priorities.

  6. Time for Cutie to go. He been in politics too long. Time to let younger ones participate. Tired of him and his BS.

    • The “younger ones” like 66 years old Lovell Limpy Joe??? Or you mean like Pringle who head EMPTY EMPTY and CAN’T READ, SPEAK or REASON with COMMON SENSE???

      CA-CAPA-TI-TAH 🤣🤣🤣🤣
      MASKses 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
      Diplomatic KORPSS 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • They are “EN-TRAP-INNNA-SHIP” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 big up ya self Alister Thomas. You never graduate from secondary school but you’re a renowned “inTERllectual and shadow minister of Housing who can’t produce the TITLE DEED for the house you’re living in.🤣😆😂

      Well sah dem UPP candidates sweet me bad. The 🐍has 26 ACRES of farmland with OLD FRIDGE, OLD STOVE, DIRTY PAMPERS and wants to be Agriculture Minister 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

      Woieeeee ma belly 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

      Agriculture Minister with NO FOOD on his 26 ACRES of “farm” 😆🤣😂 FARMING FOOL instead of FOOD.

  8. This is where I agree with the statement that Bruce Goodwin once told Baldwin Spencer, “You should rule with an iron fist”. Sometimes you wonder who is running the asylum? It seems like inmates are running it. As the owner of a business, I will have none of that. I would rather close my business. Running a country is not easy. You must try and please everyone. Although the police are central in a democracy for upholding law and order, I would suggest that the military should also be used for filling in essential services when those responsible for such service fail and withhold their service. The military should therefore be trained in all essential services.
    On August 5, 1981, following the PATCO workers’ refusal to return to work, the Reagan administration fired the 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored the order, and banned them from federal service for life. Until replacements could be trained, the vacant positions were temporarily filled with a mix of non-participating controllers, supervisors, staff personnel, some non-rated personnel, military controllers, and controllers transferred temporarily from other facilities.
    That was for me a very brave President who had the testicular fortitude to take on the union.

  9. Clearly those who recommend using US Presidential powers on 108 sq miles, don’t know about essential support services which continents can afford to educate and equip. Our Defence force and police are just government boots on the feet of trigger happy young and ignorant recruits who cannot get a job. They cannot be trusted with Air Traffic Control.

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