Public Works – By Azara Lavia
Public Works Workers Return
By Azara Lavia
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Approximately 125 Public Works employees returned to the picket line on Monday, demanding immediate action on outstanding overtime payments, back pay, employment letters, incentives and working conditions after repeated promises failed to resolve their grievances.
Public Works shop steward Kurt Isaac said workers had grown frustrated with repeated promises over money owed to them.
Isaac said some workers had been waiting years for overtime payments and that the delays were creating serious financial pressure for employees and their families.
With the new school year approaching, he said the situation was particularly difficult for parents trying to meet back-to-school expenses while still waiting for money they had already earned.
Isaac said he was personally owed several months of overtime and was prepared to remain on the picket line until the workers received what was due to them.
He also questioned the inconsistency of payments, saying employees were expected to continue reporting for work and carrying out their duties without knowing when outstanding money would be paid.
Two other Public Works employees also spoke about their concerns.
One employee said she was waiting for an employment letter, back pay and an incentive payment and had joined the protest because those matters remained unresolved.
Another worker raised concerns about outstanding payments and other employment-related issues affecting employees at Public Works.
The workers were among employees from several sections of the ministry who returned to the picket line on Monday, demanding action rather than further assurances.
Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) President Bernard De Nully said the union remained firmly behind its members and wanted the government to put its commitments in writing.
“A promise is a comfort to a fool,” De Nully said.
He said workers had received repeated assurances, but many of the issues remained unresolved.
“It’s a sad day for workers in Antigua and Barbuda when we have to resort to a protest that should not actually be there,” De Nully said.
The union president said the grievances extended beyond outstanding overtime.
According to De Nully, some newly hired workers had been reporting for duty without receiving employment letters, while other employees had been waiting years for overtime payments.
He also raised concerns about operators and drivers who were handling trucks of different tonnages without receiving corresponding upgrades.
Some workers, he said, had also not been provided with basic protective equipment, including safety shoes.
“There is a plethora of issues that we are having right now,” De Nully said.
He said some payments had been made but described the process as inconsistent, claiming that some groups of road workers had not received money owed to them.
De Nully acknowledged that the government might not be able to settle years of outstanding payments at once and said the union was prepared to negotiate a realistic payment arrangement.
However, he said workers wanted a clear schedule showing what was owed and when payments would be made.
“What we need now is serious action to resolve these issues and not promises,” he said.
Employment letters were also among the main concerns raised on the picket line.
The union said some workers had already started working but had not received documentation confirming their employment.
Employees were also seeking clarity about their status after completing their probationary periods.
De Nully said workers should not be left uncertain about their employment status while continuing to report for duty and perform their jobs.
Several protest actions have been held by Public Works employees in recent months over unpaid wages, overtime and other employment concerns.
Those actions led to discussions involving the AT&LU, officials from the Ministry of Public Works and the government. Commitments were subsequently made to begin addressing outstanding payments and employment matters affecting workers.
More than 300 recently hired employees were reportedly among those discussed, along with overtime payments and questions surrounding their employment status.
However, employees who returned to the picket line on Monday said several of the matters had still not been resolved.
Operators, truck drivers, road workers, quarry workers, hot-mix employees, security officers and timekeepers were among those taking part in the action.
De Nully said the level of participation reflected the frustration among employees.
He also pointed to the financial strain facing workers with families, including single mothers and security personnel who remained uncertain about when outstanding payments would be made.
At the time Observer Media visited the picket line, workers said Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Public Works Minister Maria Browne were expected to address them.
Neither official showed up to speak with the workers.
Despite the renewed protest, De Nully said communication between the union and management remained open.
“The union has spoken to management on numerous occasions,” he said. “What we need now is serious action to resolve these issues and not promises.”
De Nully did not give a deadline for ending the protest. He said workers would remain on the picket line until their concerns were properly addressed.
The AT&LU remained willing to negotiate a payment schedule, he said, but wanted the government’s commitment formally documented.
“We owe this, we will pay this. Black and white, not promises,” De Nully said.
The protest action is expected to resume today.
