Teachers Receive $5.8m in Reclassification Payments
Teachers across Antigua and Barbuda have received a long-awaited payout of $5.86 million as part of their reclassification agreement, Cabinet officials confirmed this week.
Maurice Merchant, Director-General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, told the weekly post-Cabinet briefing that the funds have already been disbursed.
“The Ministry of Finance announced some good news that they were able to pay $5.86 million dollars to teachers,” he said.
Merchant added that talks are continuing to settle further outstanding sums owed to educators. “Ongoing discussions in terms of other monies owed to teachers are being discussed at this time,” he explained.
The government says the climate of relations between the Ministry of Finance and teachers’ representatives is positive. Merchant pointed to the fact that the president of the teachers’ union sits on the Fiscal Resilience Oversight Committee (FROC), which recently reviewed the country’s fiscal performance.
Merchant noted that the FROC report had unanimous agreement among its members, which include representatives from the public sector, private sector and trade unions.
“It’s very important to note that they had unanimity in terms of the decisions that were outlined in the report,” he said, suggesting a spirit of collaboration that extends into government-teacher relations.
The payments come against the backdrop of steady economic growth, which government officials say has created space to honour commitments to public servants.
Cabinet has also reaffirmed its commitment to scholarships for educators at the newly launched Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), allowing teachers and tutors to upgrade their qualifications and improve the quality of tertiary education.
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I’m so pleased for the teaching profession. This payment is long overdue.
Our teachers and educators are the keys to creating future scientists; mathematicians; doctors and many other professionals that can make Antigua & Barbuda major players on the worlds stage.
In comparison to the above, politicians are ten-a-penny, because they are placed into cabinet positions that they haven’t studied or qualified for. Fact!
Hence the global financial mess (also including wars) they’ve created. More facts!
Hopefully this pay recognition will extend to other key workers and help boost our economy in the foreseeable future.
The lack of foresight in our politicians continues to be reprehensible.
You couldn’t pay me to be a politician …
“Good to see teachers finally receiving part of what has long been owed to them. $5.8M is a start, but let’s remember there are still outstanding sums and commitments to be honoured. Our educators deserve timely payment and respect for the vital role they play in shaping this nation. Don’t let this just be a headline—follow through until all obligations are fully met.”
Reclassification needed in APUA too, for example a foreman in water and electricity or the labor department gets the same salary, even though the risks are different, in other places standardization saves the company monies, and you wouldn’t be shackled to a non performing workers, you could rotate the delegating position.