Over a million dollars have so far been paid out to hotel workers from their thrift fund as part of the COVID-19 relief programme.
The fund, which was started in 2010, receives contributions from 17 resorts on Antigua and was set up as a retirement scheme for the workers.
Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA) and the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) serve as trustees for fund.
Due to lay-offs cause by the coronavirus pandemic, the trustees have jointly agreed to release up to 50% of available funds to qualifying employees within the respective resorts.
Employees who have registered to the Relief Fund will receive six payments of EC$640, which will be paid fortnightly over three months.
Patrice Simon, ABHTA’s Executive Director, told state media “we’ve currently distributed $1.1 million dollars to employees that have signed on to the thrift fund relief programme and that’s a total of four payments that have been submitted so far”.
“On average we have about 420 employees every two weeks that are receiving disbursements through the thrift fund relief programme”, Simon said.
The programme is set come to an end this month but could be extended.
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I heard that all the Jamaicans and DR’s raided these funds.
When is PM going to make sure that Antigua citizens come first?
Antigua government money only for Antigua citizens, please.
So what u saying if u work hotel because u wasnt born in Antigua u should starve.. what rubbish is that …
You cant read but ready to make racist comment. Typical Antiguan!
Obviously you have know idea how a thrift fund works. The Jamaicans and the DR’s have every right to the money THEY WORKED FOR! Government has no control over the money THEY WORKED FOR! WTH is wrong with you? Ya’ll discriminate just cause y’all can.
Which government money are you referring to. The government ain’t give hotel workers jack s**t
I am lost. R u talk about the thrift fund that hotel workers paid. If it that you are on the wrong branch in the tree. Be clear plz.
@Blind how can the government give hotels anything when they can hardly manage to pay the over grown public sector. Most of you critics of the government seems to forget that half of the work force in Antigua is employed by the government and the gorvnment both past and present refuses to lay off people.
So you believe it is fair the the hotel sector contributes to majority of the country’s GDP through the taxes the government receives. And when there is a crisis they are the only ones to suffer. Totally unfair.
Stupz with all them duty free tax exemptions and write off of utilities them hotels get. Give me a damn break. Why the hell should the government which has a huge strain with the public sector workers also carry the burdens for these hotel owners sit down the large profits? Them hotel can more than afford to look after their workers. All that hard work for kiss me ass pay now ah time for them to step up.
Futher more your on another topic than the point my post was making
This is not for all hotel workers… so am not even get benefit from this, me just want me severance.
Thrift fund money is money that workers who have signed up to the fund have being throwing. Its money entitled to the workers so dont make it seem like the hotel owners or the union or govenment is doing any great work. During this pandemic Hotel workers is the one who nobody is fighting for. Please mr Editor justify a worker being at home for almost 6mths and no sort of remuneration from their employer who they have laboured for more than a decade and have place millions on their pockets.
Thank you
They seem to not see it that way
well said
What’s bothering me is this article makes it sound like we the hotels workers are getting money from the government or the union pls state properly it’s our money stop make it sound like we getting help from either of them smh
What will happen when all the pension money spend off and retirement is eminent?
When the Union and the hotel executive come together to make the hard working people poorer by giving them what is theirs as if they are assisting them. this is a travesty. Ans must not go unpunished.
The hotel workers must get new representation, and leave ATLU and AWU in the dust. Create a union among themselves and conduct their own affairs. Who feels it knows it.
This is a cruel act, extremely wicked and they posing and boasting as if if they assisted.
GB tell them to dip into all the tax concessions and support their key assets.
Give the hotel workers their thrift fund y’all bank made enough interest off the millions of dollars in people’s hard earned money and they have to through all this red tape to even get a loan from it. The hotels workers make up more than half of the working class people in Antigua and y’all not pushing hard for them. Hotel managers and waste of time expats making more money than our prime minister Gaston and wanna cry now it’s time to sever employees and they have gotten so many millions in write offs and concessions. Gaston don’t ease up mek dem pay out all the thrift fund and sever them now!!!
The thrift fun does not belongs to the government or the hotels. The hotel workers pay thrift as as a pension that comes from their pay check. If and when they retire or get fired from these hotels the money goes to said staff. No matter if dem Antiguans or not. A fu dem money, not government or hotel owners.
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