Public school teachers across Antigua staged a sit-in protest today, bringing disruptions to primary and secondary schools across the island. The industrial action was prompted by years of unpaid allowances and benefits owed to educators by the government.
The protest followed a directive issued by the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (A&BUT), which instructed all public school teachers to remain off active duty until further notice. The decision was formalized in a letter dated May 2, 2025, signed by A&BUT President Casroy Charles.
In the letter, the union stated that the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities had failed to deliver on a commitment to issue outstanding payments by noon last Friday. “The Ministry of Education and the other entities who are tasked with the responsibility of issuing all outstanding payments for allowances failed to issue the obligatory remuneration to all of the deserving individuals,” the union wrote.
The A&BUT outlined three categories of unpaid allowances:
- Technical Vocational Disciplines allowances (2018–2024)
- Travel and Telephone allowances for principals and deputy principals (2018–2023)
- Ex gratia payments for heads of department (2018–2021)
The sit-in significantly affected operations in public schools, with many classrooms left without supervision and instruction.
