By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Opposition Senator David Massiah has called on the government to establish unemployment and severance protection funds, which he described as critical social protections that are needed to support workers across Antigua and Barbuda.
In 2023, the Senator and the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) claimed that the union was drafting a Bill relating to a severance protection fund.
Speaking during the recent Budget debate in Parliament, Massiah re-emphasised the critical need for these safety nets, pointing to lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We came out of the situation with COVID, and we know all of the challenges that were there,” he said. “It is something that is of dire need if we want to be a country with resilience.”
At that time, the ABWU’s Deputy Secretary General Chester Hughes highlighted how such protection could have prevented the ongoing LIAT severance payment issue between the shareholder governments, in particular the ABWU’s current battle with the Antiguan government over severance.
Massiah referenced the existing framework in Barbados, which was used to compensate former LIAT workers in that country.
“Barbados took care of their people. The Antiguan government needs to take care of its people,” Massiah stated during his parliamentary address.
The Senator also disclosed that the ABWU has already prepared a draft proposal for the establishment of the funds.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, workers had to rely on donations and support from the union and the Hotel Association – a situation Massiah argued could be avoided with formal government-backed protection funds.
Under the country’s Labour Code, while workers have the right to severance, there is no protected fund mechanism.
The ABWU’s proposed Bill, they said, would require severance funds to be held in escrow, providing greater security for workers facing unexpected job losses.
