All owed will get back pay – Public Service Union

President of the Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association, Joan Peters said all entitled to receive government retroactive pay are also to receive benefits, even those who are no longer in the service.
Peters was responding to queries made to OBSERVER media by individuals who once worked for the government but may have retired, migrated or resigned.
“Even those who would have died, but, are entitled to retroactive pay, are to be paid for their service. What is happening now is that only the active government workers are being paid. Once the active members are handled those who are no longer in the service but qualify will be taken care of,” Peters said.
On Monday, one day before the electorate cast their votes in the historic Caribbean Court of Justice referendum to determine if the London based Privy Council will be replaced as the final appellate court, the government made good on its promise and began dispensing retroactive payments.
Peters said anyone who worked for at least one year during the period of January 2003 to December 2017 is entitled.
“If you don’t retire but you resigned and you are entitled to back pay then you will get it. Treasury will have to look for the paperwork but the names are there. Those who are not in the service now will likely get theirs by month end,” she said.
Peters recommended that those who may think they are entitled to retroactive pay and are no longer employed by government to make their inquiries to the Treasury after this month end.
The back pay came after almost a-year-and-half of back and forth negotiations with the employees’ bargaining agents. 
The employees were paid one month of the current gross basic salary in lieu of outstanding collective bargaining contracts for the period January 2003 to December 31, 2017.
They are also to be paid one month of the current gross basic salary in lieu of outstanding back pay for persons employed in the public service between June 2000 to December 2004.
The employees represented by ABPSA should have been employed for not less than one year during each of the above stated periods to qualify for payment.