The festive cheer is being rolled out with full force, Prime Minister Gaston Browne. The headlines are vibrant with promises of a double salary in mid-December, a star-studded One Nation Concert, the $10/$50 Christmas barrel initiative, constituency parties, and the ever-popular three-day 7% ABST reduction. These are initiatives that undeniably inject money and excitement into our economy and homes just in time for the holidays.
But amidst this celebratory flurry, a deafening silence surrounds a promise that, for many civil servants, represents years of deferred sacrifice and legitimate due: the long-awaited back pay and the salary/wage increase.
Recent news confirms the Government’s intent to provide an additional retroactive salary payment in December 2025 and an agreed collective bargaining agreement for 2018-2023 which includes pay increases for some of those years. This is a critical milestone, transforming verbal assurances into a legally binding document. The Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA) officially signed the 2018-2023 agreement, which includes a 5% increase for 2018 and 2019, and a 4% increase for 2020 (with 0% for 2021-2023 due to COVID-19’s impact).
However, the lack of specific, practical details on the actual payment date, period covered, and percentage for the general public service staff is causing understandable anxiety, fear, and a sense of déjà vu. The Prime Minister has repeatedly announced that retroactive pay will be issued this year, and the Cabinet has ratified a decision for an “additional retroactive salary payment in December 2025,” but the final, specific details on when and how much remain elusive.
This stark distinction is emerging between the ‘feel-good’ commitments—which are being executed with swift, visible precision—and the foundational, long-overdue financial commitments to the public service. While the Government effectively executes highly visible, short-term economic stimulants, we have yet to hear any official, actionable details regarding the mechanism for distributing the back pay. This contrast fuels the civil service’s concern that their legitimate and hard-earned entitlements are once again being relegated to an afterthought, or worse, used as a perpetual political talking point.
Mr. Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the time for “genuflecting” and “grandstanding” has passed. As a nation, we are celebrating financial promises, but for your employees—the backbone of this nation’s operations—the most significant part of that promise remains a blur. We ask, with the urgency this matter deserves:
First, What is the Specific Retroactive Period? While the ABPSA agreement covers 2018-2023 and outlines specific percentages for 2018-2020, we need to know the official period being covered by the December payment for all Ministries and statutory bodies. What portion of this debt are we paying now?
Second, What is the Specific Percentage of the Back Pay? What is the exact monetary or percentage calculation that will be distributed as the retroactive pay in this December payment? Is this payment equivalent to another one month’s salary, as has been done in the past?
Third, Are Preparation Works Underway? Have the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, and the Payroll Departments across all Ministries, Institutions, and Statutory Bodies been formally instructed and provided with the necessary specific figures, dates, and mandates to begin calculation and preparation for disbursement?
Fourth, When is the Definitive Payment Date? Can you announce a concrete, non-negotiable date for the back pay disbursement in December, so civil servants can budget and plan for the holidays with certainty? Will this be disbursed before or along with the promised double salary?
Finally, What are the Details of the Salary/Wage Increase? The ABPSA has prepared its next proposal for 2024-2026. Given the Prime Minister’s pledge for another increase in 2026, when can civil servants expect the next definitive salary/wage increase to be applied to their monthly paychecks, and what will that percentage be?
We cannot afford a repeat of last year, where the administration of the double salary led to a scattershot distribution and left some public servants “running around all in 2025” chasing their due. The promise of the back pay is not a gift; it is the settling of a long-standing debt.
Mr. Prime Minister, as you rightfully celebrate the country’s economic successes and roll out the visible festive measures, let your actions demonstrate that the welfare and respect for your own employees are not secondary to a good public relations campaign. The festive season can only be truly joyous when built on a foundation of fairness, certainty, and respect for the people who keep the government running.
We urge you to provide these specific, actionable details before the month’s end. The civil service deserves to end 2025 knowing that this long-garlanded promise is finally being settled with dignity and concrete action.
The Fiscal Query
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