Hospitality Workers to Receive Wage Increase in 2025
Hundreds of hospitality workers employed at hotels that are signatories to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) and the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA), will receive a $25.00 weekly wage increase effective January 1, 2025.
The increase follows weeks of robust negotiations between both parties which have also brought
about enhancements to other benefits in the Collective Agreement.
These include increases in the
meal allowance (from $15 to $30 per meal); Spread-over Allowance (from $29 to $35 weekly);
Graveyard Shift Allowance (from $27 to $35 weekly) and Paternity Leave (extended from 5 days
to 7 days).
Workers will also receive a boost in their retirement fund contributions which will now
be moved to 3%. Other enhancements to existing benefits include an increase in the compassionate
leave to 5 days for parents, spouses or children and 3 days for grandparents and siblings.
ABWU Deputy General Secretary, Chester Hughes said: “These are important enhancements for
workers, but we cannot be complacent. We intend to make a powerful case for further increases in
years 2 and 3 of the Agreement.”
Meanwhile, Hughes also called on hospitality workers to improve
their productivity and performance.
“We continue to receive complaints of alarming absenteeism.
This is unacceptable! Workers must do better,” Hughes chided.
Taking into consideration the impact of climate change on the sector, the Union put forward an
extreme heat proposal which is being considered by the ABHTA.
Other items both parties will continue to negotiate include Mental Health Support for Hospitality
Workers; Updates to the Disciplinary Code; Updates to Job Titles and Job Descriptions; Probation
and Uniforms.
Negotiations are expected to reconvene in early January 2025.
The Union commends its shop stewards and members within the hotel sector for their contributions
and steadfastness throughout the negotiating period.
As we move forward into a new year, we anticipate a deepening of the bonds of solidarity as we
strive toward a sustainable, equitable and prosperous tourism industry for all.
We remind our members that we are the workers powering our economy, and together we will rise!
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Mediocrity is applauded once again. People are brainwashed into rejoicing and accepting the bare minimum in this country and the bargaining units that we pay each month to negotiate for us are just so full of it.
This is exactly $0.62 added to your hourly rate. So $100 per month less 13% taxes = $87.
Now tell me WTH is this to reward Frontline staff?
ABWU ought to be ashamed of themselves for negotiating a $25 weekly increase, and publishing it as if it’s some kind of great news. $25 weekly works out to be $100 monthly.
Let’s put that into perspective. If an employee works for $500 weekly, then they would now work for $525 weekly. That means that on a monthly basis, the same employee would now be making $2100 instead of $2000. $25 weekly cannot even buy a decent lunch for the average employee and the ABWU is proud of that?
Is this the same union whose General Secretary, Sen. David Massiah, had the heart to criticize the government’s Budget the other day in Parliament? They ought to be ashamed of their damned selves!
@boycott
Should see what these expats make for doing fuck all. Can you imagine being a manger of one of the biggest departments in a hotel and making under 6k per month with no perks added to that, but they’re wasting money bringing people from overseas. Paying their rent, children’s school fess, transportation allowance, airfare, medical, company card etc. and the people doing the real work are paid the bare minimum… if this isn’t modern day slavery and plantation mentality by these hotel owners and directors I don’t know what is. Strike for better, that increase is nothing if these hotels can afford to waste money hiring people that are only taking up space and aren’t useful.
@Wash an’ Basin let’s do the real math-zing. According to one Senator they can now afford to work four and five jobs per week. So that $25.00 per week can now become $125.00 per week or $500.00 to $625.00 per month. Can we work it like this since jobs are chasing people like flies chasing molasses in our powerhouse nation? They will have to hustle 120 hours per week and could drop dead from stress, stroke or suicide – slow death from alcoholism or drug addiction and leave a 2011 Lexus for their children.