ANTIGUA | Govt Scapegoats Civil Servants While Ministers Escape Accountability Says UPP

ST.JOHN'S, May 14, 2025 - The United Progressive Party (UPP) issued a scathing rebuke of the Browne Administration today, accusing the government of systematically sacrificing civil servants to protect ministerial incompetence amid ongoing education sector turmoil.

In what has become a predictable pattern of blame-shifting, the UPP claims the Browne Administration has once again targeted hardworking civil servants to shield ministerial failures from public scrutiny. The opposition party characterized the recent reshuffle in the Ministry of Education as "not a bold step forward" but rather "a cowardly retreat from accountability."

"Let us be clear: civil servants implement the decisions of their ministers. If policies fail or departments falter, the buck stops with the ministers and, ultimately, with the prime minister, himself," the UPP statement declared, directly challenging the government's narrative around the ongoing education crisis.

The opposition's criticism comes as teachers across Antigua and Barbuda engaged in their third industrial action in three years this May, protesting yet another round of delayed payments. Rather than addressing the fundamental leadership failures that have allowed this pattern to persist, the UPP contends that Prime Minister Gaston Browne's administration has opted to restructure the civil service ranks while leaving the politically-appointed minister untouched.

"This is not reform; it is pure politics of deflection. It is not just a reshuffle; it is a reshuffling of blame," the opposition statement asserted.

The teachers' frustrations have reached a boiling point following repeated failures to resolve payment issues. "To date, the Ministry of Education has yet to satisfy our demands despite the issue of several cheques on Friday, May 9th, 2025," stated a letter from the union executive to members this past Sunday.

The industrial actions follow a troubling pattern: In April 2023, teachers struck over outstanding payments, school security concerns, and stalled collective bargaining negotiations. They took to the streets again in September 2024 over reclassification salary payments owed since 2019. Now, in May 2025, teachers find themselves fighting the same battles.

Rather than engage constructively with these legitimate concerns, the Prime Minister has resorted to personal attacks, labeling Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers president Casory Charles as "a political hack" during a recent broadcast on the Labour Party-affiliated Pointe FM.

The UPP statement painted this approach as "reckless, corrosive, and dangerous to the public service," arguing it "demoralizes our institutions, discourages initiative, and tells civil servants that loyalty and service mean nothing when the political heat turns up."

In contrast, the opposition party positioned itself as offering a different governance philosophy: "We believe in empowering professionals, not undermining them. We will hold ministers accountable, not above the law. We lead from the front, not from behind smokescreens and gutter-radio presentations crafted to distract from failure."

As the education crisis continues without clear resolution, the UPP concluded with a direct challenge to the current administration: "The people deserve a government that takes responsibility; not one that scapegoats. They deserve leadership that lifts up our institutions; not one that uses them as shields to hide ministerial failure. They deserve results; not excuses."

The Browne Administration has yet to respond to these allegations.

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