Dear Editor,
We were told we don’t read, so we took up books. We were told we don’t work, yet we are surrounded by exceptional teachers, overworked nurses, and some of the most brilliant intellectual and creative minds this country has produced.
And still, our Prime Minister—apparently brilliant and creative himself—seems either unwilling or unable to grasp a basic truth: construction is a boom-and-bust industry, and an economy built almost entirely on tourism is fragile by design.
Relying solely on tourism has already delivered what it always does—precarious, seasonal, low-wage jobs; a soaring cost of living for locals; and severe environmental degradation.
The result is an economy with little diversification and nothing solid to fall back on when the tide turns.
So perhaps the Prime Minister *does* understand. Perhaps he is fully aware that nurses are leaving—and continue to leave—because their wages cannot support a healthy or dignified life in a tourist destination priced for visitors, not residents.
Perhaps he knows that teachers are dissatisfied with their pay, that schools are now asking parents to fill funding gaps with their own money, and that those same parents are already drowning.
Because truly—how could the ever-present Prime Minister of a $7-billion economy be ignorant of the fact that skilled, degree-holding public-sector workers are earning so little?
That people with 20 or 30 years of service are still scraping by? What is $2,500 in gross pay to someone who has given their entire working life to this country?
Why is it so difficult to understand that these same people are urging their children to seek work that is not back-breaking, not toxic, and not exploitative?
If nothing else, why does the Prime Minister refuse to show compassion—if only by remaining silent—while the population continues to drag this country forward with its blood, sweat, and tears?
Sincerely Antiguan-Barbudan,
Fussy For A Reason
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Cost of living should definitely match wages better before citizens can truly relax here. But, we all have a part to play, not just the government. Private citizens can start businesses that cater to local needs at prices that locals can afford if that is possible. Or, private citizens can start businesses that bring in money from abroad e.g. online businesses, arts for export etc. If living here does not improve, we might just have to accept that this country is more of a transit point than a permanent home. Residents can live here for a few years, get an education, gain skills, and then migrate abroad with skills that will make them more welcome abroad instead of just trying to migrate with no skills. Really and truly, people born on small islands should be allowed access to continents. The earth belongs to all of us.
My Father. In heaven, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I pray that you give anyone agreeing with this out of touch man a firsthand experience with today’s current job market. It is clear that the people agreeing with this post either have been employed for so long that the old job hunting facts have become obsolete or they got their jobs by help from someone who knows someone. Maybe both.
Today, the hard cold reality is that the old saying of “Tek wah you get, til you get wah you want” no longer applies in most cases. Some of the best capable and competent candidates:
1. Are being told to their faces that they are overqualified and will probably leave if hired (That has happened to me personally, by Security company and retail shoe store too.).
2. Are being told to their faces that they are too old, because 35 years old is the cutoff age.
3. Don’t even get a response for their application.
Heavenly Father please humble these ignorant people because they are part of the problem. The least they can do for current job hunters is to keep quiet and not throw salt in our wounds.
Nice but we want contracts too. Like the DEAD DARG Contract sweet deal Pringle got.
And we want access to full funding from MBS like the RAG-TAG HYPOCRITE got. Shouldn’t have to resort to Raffles, BBQ and Takeaway Dinners.
Equality for all, not just UPP’s minions
Practically anyone in any country can a job in robbing, murdering, picking trash-up and selling what they can if they are not fussy.
Succes is measured on having respectable, productive, and lucrative jobs. Also those jobs that pays the “measly” $30,000 a month the ABLP PM Gaston Browne children make would be great (source, ABLP PM Gaston Browne). These jobs are not available, only these kinds of jobs shows success of a political party and they do not exist in Antigua and Barbuda.
The ABLP PM Gaston Browne will do all he can to block and to refuse locals from the decent and lucrative work.
Of course people will be fussy having to take work in robbery, theft, murder, garbage collection, prostitution, and sucking up to politicians (literally too).
I’m a born and raised Antiguan citizen working twelve hrs a day for 2600 a month where they still tax it….i get paid on a fortnightly bases and receive exactly 1’100 every two weeks…i was working six days a week,12 hrs for that wage in my own country had to beg them for my saturdays because i couldn’t handle such hrs for so many days and still had to manage my household….they gave me the day but my pay hasn’t budged ….saying this to say we need workers union to monitor these things and the send people around to evaluate the wages given by employers for the time and workload and set a standard they can’t go beneath because employers know how to set bogas contracts that benefits themself while draining the employee all because cost of living high and they need the money,job whatever to get by and i think it’s truly unfair and it only discourage our up coming generation from staying in antigua to work or to even work at all and we can see it in our day to day life
Blessed Love,THINK in LOVE and then critique What does it mean to survive vs a job? Surviving refers to working merely to cover basic needs, characterized by a feeling of compulsion, financial strain and living pay check to paycheck. Having a job (or working to live)means using employment as a means to support a desired lifestyle prioritizing work-like balance personal fulfillment, and hobbies outside of work ..THINK many folks are clueless as to preparing BALANCE. Because strategy is OMITTED and Capitalisms leaves no GRACE..no sharing and breaking bread.. ideology ” Ibrahim Traore President of the “Transition Burinka Faso.
transition the process of or a period of change from one state or condition to another..THINK Blessed Love
I concur with the Prime Minister….They just dyam lazy and lob freebz……If I was in my 20s and unemployed is the fastest I would sign up with RPFAB or ABDF..GO LOOK WORK!!!
Well written, this article is spot on. You cannot make do with 2600 a.month. it’s ridiculous! The population will always be living in poverty.
People work for pay or they will turn to crime to scrape through. We are at that point now. Most of the illegal stuff happening is within the government sector. Can you blame them?
I find myself constantly searching for better opportunities, even while working a minimum wage government job. I know I am capable of much more, but my current circumstances require me to do what is necessary to survive. I would rather clean, pick up garbage, or cut grass than go hungry. For many, pride becomes a barrier to work, especially for those who have never had to experience true financial insecurity. People with stable, well paying jobs often fail to understand how those without such privilege struggle daily.
I am not speaking about politicians. I am referring to educated individuals and those living comfortably who forget that many people in Antigua are surviving on $1,500 to $2,000 a month or even less. Some wage workers earn only $350 to $450 a week. From my observation, it is often those who are middle class who complain the loudest, while lower income individuals continue working quietly, doing whatever they can to make ends meet.
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