Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he has given the Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force notice that they may be needed in the face of threats by port workers to lock down the facility.
“Based on the threats that they would have made, we had to position ourselves to take defensive action to ensure that there is no disruption so the services at the port.”
“So I had placed the defense force on notice that we may be in need of man power in the event they decide to take industrial action and to seek lockdown the port.”
“I have also spoken to the distinguished Attorney General who has also prepared an order under section 4, subsection 2, of the Central Services act to prevent any disruption to the services there,” the PM told Pointe FM.
Browne says the workers are upset that they have not been granted an annual bonus of 5 percent and have threatened to escalate industrial action during the busiest period for the port.
The Prime Minister told Pointe FM that the bonus is not compulsory but based on productivity.
Browne said productivity is measured based on output and profitability and the port has seen neither over the last year. In fact, Browne who is also finance minister says the port saw a drop in revenue due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is understood that is a business is not doing well then a bonus cannot be paid. A bonus is not a salary.”
The port has not been able to meet several of its obligations and has been struggling to pay salaries and wages on time, Browne said.
“They are now threatening to lockdown the port. If they were to lockdown the port that would create a significant amount of problems for a number of people. We have facilitated the importation of 10,000 Barrels as part of the COVID relief.”
Browne said, on Friday staff embarked on a go slow which had the effect of holding back goods “and the union advising us that they going to lockdown the port.”
“We don’t have any difficulty rewarding staff but we have to understand that during this period of COVID, our primary objective is to protect the jobs of our citizens,” he told radio listeners.
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PM is such a strategic thinker. No wonder we have you at the helm and not HFWL.
Blessings for the seasons sir as we look forward to a turn around in 2021!
Just Saying there you go again with your hyperbole for Gaston Browne. What is strategic of using the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) to man the port if there is a strike. And by the way, are the ABDF personnel trained in port operations (not manual work) such as the ASCYCUDA system. Please stop living in a dream world.
What do you suggest he does? Give in to the demands of the union? When Essential workers strikes it is always the army that is on standby to fullfill those duties. Perhpas you forget how Ronald Reagon dealt with the strike from the Air Traffic Controllers in the USA. It’s the Army he instructed to take over their posts. When people are unreasonabe and want to hold you at ransom you have to be strong not to just give in. It’s like a terrorist making demand and you give in. As they say in the USA we do not negotiate with terrorists. Once you do that they will always take hostages.
The United States Military have personnel trained in many fields.Air Traffic Control is one of those fields.How do you think Military Planes land at Air Force Bases.By remote controls?
And your point is our army is not trained to handle port work. You have no clue what our military is trained in.
Just Saying.
Are you getting enough of the attention of which you seek?
Little Trump’s looking for a fight. You looking for attention.
Go stand on VC statue.
Use direction ppl. Try to work with gaston brown not a give trouble when you see no money there. Be glad you have work and money coming in. You dnt see how bad other ppl in different countries living?
@nonSensible. No we dont! Little St Kitts, Sy Lucia, Grenada, Barbados etc, all gave stimuli. The difference is: they have a govt that run their country well; a g9vt that use the peoples money for the good of the people and not ‘self enrichment’. You see, for every self enrichment scheme, a politician becomes richer while a number of citizens become poorer.
Just a few months ago, they boasted that they had 500 million put aside. Govt geta about 7 dollars for every gallon of gas sold. With 50 thousand cars on the road daily, thats millions a week worth of ‘gas tax’, if everyone buys just 5 gallons a week. So there is no need to sorry for them. Their problem is management of our money and not income.
On another note, there is ni transparency! We know lots of monies are being borrowed but how much and from whom, I guess because the ‘comraids’ dont care, they believe no one else does! Well I do and so does a great many of Antiguans and Barbudans. If we knew for instance, that the money is borrowed from Chinese interest at greater than 5 percent, we could lobby for govt to seek cheaper loans from the IMF for one percent or less. Our concern would be for our children and grand children and not for the discomfort of politicians.
@Zackie, I like to read comments like these. Let me put what has happened into perspective. The reality is that a caring government like the ALP and the UPP when it was office would have employed and continue to employ many persons since the private sector simply did not have the capacity. In so doing governments (both UPP and ALP) overtime and to this day would have been forced to continue the burden with these people even though their productivity was no way commensurate with any salary they would have received. The choice to the government was whether to right size and leave people on the breadline which would then have severe socio-economic consequences or continue the hemorrhaging? Caring governments like the UPP and the ALP chose the latter. So the long and short of it is that whilst these other countries you have mentioned have been able to give stimuli they are not have not had that huge demand on their governments prior to the pandemic in terms of public sector wages. See the ECCB statistics and you will see for yourself how much Antigua and Barbuda paid in salary and emoluments over the last 10years as a percentage of revenue intake. Do a comparison with the other ECCU and you will note what I am saying.
So our current government cant pay any stimulus. Let us look back in the past and recognize what they (both ALP and UPP) would have done to keep persons employed…against the whiles of the IMF I dear say for instance.
Discretion
So you want to hold the country at ransom for a 5 percent bonus, when other people are not even getting 5 percent of their base salary. Come on.
That is the kind of politics these so called unions play with the country. They do not care toohoots about what that would mean for the rest of us. Can you imagine going to the supermarket to see the shelves empty because containers are laying at the port. And ships have to reconsider coming to Antigua to bring their cargo.
Calling all essential workers to move in one accord at this time , stand for each other no matter your department move in unity .
Workers must be understanding through a crisis, the government has done a good job keeping staff while alot of private sectors have lost their jobs.
I think the PM should meet them half way. The late notice is like dropping a bomb when they were expecting to get something.
Times are challenging yes!( Bad spending habits exposes people in crisis)
Turkey, Hams and toys and different devices I believe are distributed still in different constituency for the Christmas season
If there was election coming up soon money will appear to pamper to get votes.
I strongly believe money is there but is being saved for election.
Keep the people supress and stress and come to their rescue as the caring government.
The ABDF do not have enough man power to operate the port and perform their regular duties.
This is psychological posturing.
The ABDF is grossly undermanned.
The port workers are being really selfish and unreasonable. How do they really expect a bouns when government can bearly pay its workers and pensioners? And can they want to strike right in the middle of the busy Christmas season. Just pure badminddedness that be!
The port workers are being selfish and unreasonable. At this time they should be happy to have a job when so many don’t. Bring in the defence force to work with workers who want to work and let those who want to strike go home without a salary. Bonuses are never mandatory.
All who have commented against the workers should be ashamed of themselves, Gaston come in as a dictator now honestly, why he and his other parliamentarians don’t take a pay cut, it so much a pandemic and no money there why you all don’t take a pay cut? we don’t here you say we taking a pay cut, Mr Prime Minsters you do not represent the interests of the people any more. Why not inform these individuals they would receive there bonus first thing next year. You want tell them be thankful they have a job, you seem to forget you are only in the position because the people put you there, so you better start representing the people and not yourself.
Did the actually make the threats? Or would then have made them and then something stopped them?
It would be so nice if the PM learned the proper usage of the term “would have.”
I don’t know why the UPP aliigned union think that in this Covid 19 Pandemic times when since March the country has seen a great reduction in economic activity and even shipping lines are thinking of laying off staff they should be given bonus. On what ground. They know the country is hard pressed for cash. is it that they believe this will give them political milelage of some sort. Well elections three years away. Maybe you all can strike for three years.
If it was me the minute they strike I would fire them. Especially now that you do not need all that manpower. Why let a good oppertunity go to waste. You know exactly who the trouble makers are.
Who is that person in the above picture. Is that a Communist Party Leader of China in Antigua. Oh no,it is Gaston Browne.
I like that red outfit he’s wearing. He looking good.
I think you need to take your head out of your behinds.If that is looking good.Then you are as blind as a bat.Then again,perhaps you are a bat.A dingbat that is.
Amidst the covid 19 panademic port workers worked reduced hours yet they got FULL PAY.. Pandemic remains, revenues are down and port workers through their UPP aligned union are asking for BONUS, yes BONUS!!!! Am I hearing correctly?
People how can anyone take the UPP seriously. Isnt it clear that they live in a fairy tale world and the only thing they are fitting to run is a dolly house? If you respond then it is a sign of agreement that that party is just a bunch of jokers and all their supporters do is eat pork as they eschew on radio on a daily basis. They need to stay off the grease and wake up and smell the coffee!!!! Bout the supporting port workers and their nonsense!!!!
@just Saying
I now see why the more intelligent and educated people in Antigua support the UPP. Even your leader agrees, he said so. By the way, there are many Seven Day Adventist who support UPP and they don’t eat pork. Somehow I think you are one of the labour supporters who phone in to Point FM every Saturday. If you are not, you should listen and ask if these people are awake.
I heard the union man Chester Hughes today on Darren show. Simple question he could not answer. How does he evaluate the staff performance to know whether they have performed or not. He said he relies on the workers to tell him. It shows that this is simply a politically driven demand to put pressure on the government in this Covid times when things are so bad. The port has seen a big reduction of trade. At one time the country was on lockdown. All ports were closed. Port has no money, Government has no money and many private sector small businesses and hotels are still closed. But these guys think it is fair to demand a bonus.
All I can tell the PM is, Covid gives you oppertunities to deal with certain issues. You are spending over $100 million dollar in a new port and you are going to risk this all with these type of workers, backed by a politically motivated Union. They did that to you allready when you passed the new banking Act. Chester encourage the bank employees to lay down tools for what? if you don’t stand your ground they will walk all over you. And now its not so bad, but when the new port is finished and up and running! I think you will be glad the hotels started the outsourcing of employees. You may consider outsourcing the portworkers as well. These are not skilled workers. They can easily be replaced. Don’t let them hold you hostage.
@sideline
Your fascist beliefs have no place in Antigua as Antigua should not be a dictatorship. You should shut up and stop spewing rubbish.
@FTS
“You may consider outsourcing the portworkers as well. These are not skilled workers. They can easily be replaced. Don’t let them hold you hostage.”
Idiot, most of those ‘unskilled” workers are ALP supporters, put there by their party for their vote. Are you asking the politician to let them go? You have not a clue about politics and politicians. The dog should fire you forthwith for making such stupid remarks.
Just hush!
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