Press Release: ABWU Condemns Prime Minister’s Attack on APUA Employees
St. John’s, Antigua – 23 January 2023 – The Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union wishes to express its disappointment in comments made by Prime Minister Gaston Browne on his radio station – Pointe FM – on Saturday 21 January.
Browne accused the employees of the state-owned APUA Water Department of sabotaging the water network.
He also went on to threaten the employment of several employees.
These unfortunate statements come only a few days after the voters of this country issued a warning notice to the Prime Minister to “shape up or be removed from office.”
We wish to remind the Prime Minister that some of these very workers whom he threatened voted for him in the last General Elections.
Further, we are bewildered by the illogical reasoning of the Prime Minister to suggest that APUA workers would deliberately bring hardship on their families, friends, and coworkers in communities across Antigua and Barbuda by suppressing the water supply.
But truth be told, our members have worked tirelessly to ensure the distribution of water is done within the scheduled times. However, the workers of the Water Department cannot deliver what is not there.
We at the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union, condemn the attack of Prime Minister Browne on the employees of the APUA Water Department and urge him to restrain his tongue, particularly in the absence of verifiable evidence.
These attacks only serve to demoralize the efforts of the hard working employees.
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union therefore asks its members to continue to perform above and beyond expectations and not be distracted by the Prime Minister’s idle threats and foolish rhetoric.
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Nonsense and pure foolishness…why blame other’s for their ignorance…
We are under orders, and GASSY’S off and running … ah who next for criticism?
Do YOUR job Prime Minister – remember you did win!!!
@ BRIXTONIAN and ALL UPP Supporters.
Stop your CRYING . UPP lost the election. KNIGHT still in election mode. Advise the UPP to do INTROSPECTION of the UPP for the way forward. You Guys are sounding so DAMN stupid. Put on your big man pants and stop the DAMN ranting. Knight is going crazy. Knight is living in DENIAL. UPP DONE / FINISHED. RED IS BREAD.
Why so upset PHILLIP G?
Did I strike a RAW nerve? You won, enjoy and bask in your victory, but remember, those who are patriotic and love the country will continue to hold Gaston ‘Scrape Through’ Browne to account.
Simple really 👍
I want to know if any of us have a business and we understand it is being sabotaged, shouldn’t we be able to say if any one is caught they will be fired, because I’m sure that is how any one of us would feel. I know I would feel so. They lucky they get a warning. Wrong is wrong. If the shoe was on the other foot I’m sure the warning would have applied.
Gaston, I challenge you to take off your jacket and PM hat. Get out of the confines of the PM office and be a “Man” of the people for a week; Monday to Friday, 7:30AM to 4:00PM. Put on an APUA(Water Dept.)uniform; add Mr. Hurst to your party as he is your Chief of Staff and also your Minister of “MISINFORMATION.”
I would like to see you get with a crew and chase down all the water leaks that are called into the hotline for the entire week and fix them.
Remember, you’ll need water boots!
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Workers need to be properly managed. Cameras ought to be installed at these valves to ascertain the true picture. I have heard some stories whilst on the ground, many of which I cannot verify but they do not seem too farfetched. ABWU wouldn’t make an alternative statement in any case. Partisan politics run our two main unions.
I wish Antigua and Barbuda well, despite all this. 🇦🇬
@Dave Ray. You have heart talking about partisan politics but if the red flag was not so far up your backside you would not have spoken about stories and bout adding cameras. Why the hell you don’t put cameras on your arse to see when its being plugged. You think the pipes that there since God knows when can take a full load? Why the hell you don’t tell government to properly resource APUA to replace all the pipes so more people can have water more frequent. You damn redtail jackass. Ask your stupid government if they actually spent all of the over $100mil loan from ACB on APUA only? Put camera on that.
Gaston head hard. He don’t learn. Election just done and he gone back to his foolish behavior that almost cost his party the election.
WE NEED FACTORY ROAD REPATCHED WHERE THE DRAIN PIPES WERE LAID. IT IS CAUSING UNNECESSARY BACK UP MORNING AND AFTERNOON. PLEASE JACK. WHAT A PLACE WE LIVE IN.
A friendly reminder. Before you get to chasing leaks. All the water supply valves from every supply and distribution source have to be on and your pressure pumps must all be in the on position.
Let’s see how well the distribution network holds pressure.
Stop deflecting and redirecting the root cause of the problem. It’s not the workers! It’s resource management and neglect of funding to update and maintain the distribution network.
Tap rab from Peter to pay Paul.
And does APUA management or Board have anything to say in defense of their staff???
**SMH**
Nobody should be pitying APUA. They are a bunch of failures. If APUA cannot get it right, give it to the Chinese. APUA is a disgrace. The man at the top at APUA should be transfered. He is of no use to the Antiguan public
Disolve APUA and find a proper company to manage the water in this country. The more they installed reverse osmosis plant the worse the water problem gets. APua is worst than the corona virus
Little Jonny, covid took my friends. Has anyone died from not bathing?
Antigua people just want to complain. I think pumps should be duty free. I grew up on a gravity fed very simple supply from an elevated tank. So make that type of construction cheaper as well.
We are in 2023, there are options !!!
For all who sacrificed for this country during covid, your reward is in heaven cause apparently Antigua people don’t appreciate what frontline staff (to include Apua) & the unsung background support went through!!!
I was just saying to myself, this big loan for the University of the West Indians should be used on infrastructure development instead. All our roads are in a poor state. Those that were recently constructed were the worst constructed roads I have seen done in Antigua. The manhole on the south going can cause someone death. All our secondary roads are deplorable. All our internal roads within the villages are atrocious. Our agriculture / farm roads are in despicable, deplorable state.
When we rushed and built the desalination plants , so many of them. Destroying our ecosystem. The noise from the one at Frys Beach has destroyed the valve of that area. There was no proper planning. In my humble opinion we need a few plants strategically located and a properly designed and installed distribution system. Our new pipeline are poorly laid alongside the poorly constructed roads. We need the water problem solved to support our tourism, we need water to support sustainable agriculture, we need water to support the new housing scheme, not only the main lines need repairing but the sub-mains in the villages. So many communities are still without water. So many Developments don’t even have APUA pipelines. It is a shame for people having to pay so much money to truck water. The hotels are paying a fortune to truck water. Then too many of them are now allowed to build and operate desalination plants, spoiling our beautiful beaches. Melford Nicholas show Gaston that he did injustice to Antigua by having Robin in that critical area , despite the woes for so long. You came from a cable and wireless, so you should know something about planning.
Let’s now talk about our electricity. As soon as hard wind blow or a few inches of rain fall in Antigua current gone. We have a network of dilapidated light post leaning over. Instead of them holding up the wires the wires are holding them up. The highways lighting are in a poor state. You get puncture or a breakdown coming from work at night , your life is in danger. Hey people get robbed taking a leak. We need to plan our lighting system. We started with those from the Chinese a few years ago.we spent millions building base for these lights thay are all over the place. ( poor financial management). Those poorly constructed and located metal posts with their electrical suppliers took several lives. We need a properly designed, and installed electrical system.
They there is the Internet system with all the hight-technology, fiberoptic lines etc to improve our communication.
When the infrastructure is properly planned – I mean designed. We can decide on the beautification. We should not be Public work / Co Williams constructing roads and after finished paving. APUA come tomorrow and dig back up. I fact these days the same contractor is digging back up .
Finally, I am not against education but this relationship between our PM and Sir Vice Chancellor is taking Antigua down the wrong road . Another subject ……
It’s not managed properly imagine English harbor has an plant and people don’t get water for 6 weeks
I don’t care for his tactic but I say it’s about damn time. Not just APUA! All public sector employees need a good shake up. DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!
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