Prime Minister Gaston Browne said: The ABWU recommended a minimum wage of $12.50 per hour. That translates to $2,000 monthly. The irony is that this would have exceeded the minimum wage for hotel workers whom the ABWU represents.
Who is really involved in gimmickry? A minimum wage of $2,000 monthly would result in an additional increase of $450 monthly in the minimum wage for workers the Union does not represent. Meanwhile, the ABWU recently accepted an increase of $20 monthly for hotel workers. You well know that such an increase would be unsustainable, resulting in small business closures and job losses. But that is exactly what your malevolent organization seeks to achieve: poverty and mayhem in pursuit of political power.
The latter point exposes your lies and deception.
Public sector wages would also have to increase by $450 to maintain parity. When you add the other benefits for public servants, including a non-contributory occupational pension and job security, public workers’ salaries and wages would far exceed those of non-executive and supervisory workers in the hotel sector.
As a result of the ABWU’s under-representation, the pay differential between public sector workers and minimum wage workers has narrowed over the years.
That’s the dismal record of an uncaring union that has failed the hotel workers it represents. The only thing the union seems interested in is collecting dues to pay over one million dollars in salaries and wages to executive members and others. The $3.7 million in annual dues—most of which come from hotel workers—is being wasted. That’s not surprising because the union officials simply do not care about workers. The ABWU is a dues-grabbing union that does little for its members.
Here’s a case in point: Instead of pursuing my administration’s suggestion to acquire land and build homes for sale to its members, the union invested nearly $2 million to build an apartment complex with eight one-bedroom units in Yorks Village.
The monthly loan payment at 7.5 percent per annum is approximately $18K. Depreciation at 2.5 percent is $4K monthly, maintenance $2K monthly, and insurance $2K monthly.
Total monthly expenses, including the loan payment, are $26K, while the rental income is about $12K monthly. This results in net monthly losses of $14K, or $168,000 annually.
The ABWU also loses over $400K annually on a café.
In 2023, the café located on Newgate Street at the Union Headquarters recorded a loss of $442K, with total revenue at $332K.
I challenge Massiah or any other executive member of the union to direct me to any business that incurs a loss exceeding its revenue intake.
This is indicative of gross incompetence, among other things I will not raise in this response.
Let the hotel workers know what you plan to do to improve their conditions. They too must share equitably in the astronomical growth our country is experiencing.
When will the union fight for the advancement of these workers?
Aren’t you concerned about the repressive tip policy at Sandals, in which staff were fired for accepting tips while others had to turn over tips to the Sandals Foundation?
Aren’t you concerned that Sandals and another hotel group have vested their hotel assets in a separate company from the one employing the staff?
Our government will amend the Companies Act to hold the company with the assets that generate hotel activity responsible for staff severance and other benefits in the event of liquidation or sale of the hotel.
Instead of trying to score cheap political points, why doesn’t the ABWU work with our government to secure improved benefits and increased protection for hotel workers?
Stop the drama and join us in empowering hotel workers. Failing that, we will continue to encourage them to jettison the ABWU and form their own representative union, governed by hotel workers for the benefit of hotel workers.
Massiah/Chester—should realign their leadership and cease your malevolent and selfish behavior.
Workers first! Not ABWU and its executive members first.
ADDED:
Should union profits be taxed ? Below you will see that the union collects $3.7M in dues, pays $1.0M in salaries and wages and squandered the dues on a cafe that loses over $420K annually. They also invested in an apt complex in Yorks Village that will lose $14K monthly.
Hospitality workers should form their own union to managed by their members and for the sole benefit of workers. Supporting institutions to this Hospitality Union should include a credit union, super market and construction company to build affordable homes for its members.
The ABWU does not care about workers. See financials below.
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What a tangled web of deceit!
David Massiah needs to come clean
Would love to have a response from the union that include supporting documents to contradict what the PM has stated and produced. No gimmick or polotical retoric!
Gaston, when can I see the figures re expenditures for the monies collected from the sale of the Alpha Nero?
Always in everybody else business.
Both Union and Government need to protect the jobs from wholesale importation of foreign workers. Our Forefathers blood were spilt on this soil. Talking about us born and bread Antiguans and our children, that we educate to return home to get better jobs.
Now it’s importation of Hotel workers from Mexico , Spain , Dominican Republic, Jamaica and St.Lucia by the Royaltons. If honey is in the rock not the politicians to get all.
Then the owner of the Supermarkets- Epicureans importing Philippinos and no protection for the born Antiguans. I don’t hate foreigners, however it is my belief that first preference must be given to Antiguan , that are qualified, willing and hardworking and this is not happening.
So why is the government giving away all those duty free concessions to these hoteliers and expats. Is it to exploit our people and rape our economy as their forefathers did? Hay there are a few exceptions and the only one that comes to mind is Calvin Ayre group. I cannot even say Mill Reef Club although they have great work conditions. Simply because they are an all white club in a black Antigua. No black person can own a property in that place. Apartheid on display to me.
So to me neither the government and the Union are doing a good job in protecting our people from exploitation.
Well said Gaston. Now can you put the money where you put your mouth and pay the former LIAT workers their 100% severance so we too can experience what you want the hotel workers to experience. With you treating the former LIAT workers like dogs do you expect different from the rest of the community/Businesses. Until you do this nothing you put forth is truth. LIAT workers living in poverty. Dont allow anymore workers to lose their home. Dont allow anymore workers to die from cancer because you holding the severance at ransom.
‘Workers first! Not ABWU and its executive members first’
The above statement is from the PM when responding to the ABWU. Can you share the very same sentiments when addressing the plight of former LIAT workers.
for the UMPTEENTH time. The government has NO LEGAL OBLIGATION to compensate liat workers!
#Now.. you are now trying to put the cart before the horse. Why did your union not insist for security guarantees to ensure workers they represented were protected? How many hotels closed where we faced an issue where severance could not be met? What of restaurants? Recall security deposits being insisted on for Gaming companies How many years we heard there were financial issues with LIAT with the possibility of closure? What did the Union do to protect LIAT workers? You all were depending on tax payers bail out? You ready for government to add some new tax in order to meet that burden?
I am NOT understand this debacle about LIAT severance. @Can’t take it no more & #NowSuicidal, is the government of Antigua obligated to pay ALL the severances to the staff when they are other share holders? Did Barbados pay 100% of the severance to ALL liat workers or only to Barbados workers? Did St. Vincent…Dominica etc.. do the same?
I think that Antigua should pay something but not sure the percentage, so please can you explain how you think the allocation should be determined from all share holders.
@Can’t .. Don’t you guys tire of trying to live off of government handouts? For years LIAT was operating based on government bailouts. Your jobs were being subsidized by tax payers moneys since LIAT lost moneys every year. The current offer on the table is also a tax payers bail out but you guys are demanding even more.