Dear Editor,

I writing because I don’t know where else to turn.

I start working with government from 2018 from secondary school. When I take the job I believe it was just a normal government work. Now they telling me because I getting duty allowance I is a special worker. They say they could call me any time, on holidays, for as long as they want, and to do whatever work they want. They also telling me the Collective Bargaining Agreement say all I getting is my salary and duty allowance.

The problem is I never see this agreement for myself.

I ask the union. They don’t give me it. I ask the ministry. They tell me go by the Government Printery. The Printery tell me they don’t have it. So how a worker supposed to know what rights they have if nobody can’t show them the agreement?

I not saying I don’t want to work. I work hard. But I believe workers deserve to know what they sign up for and what the rules really say. And to just pop up with new rules is crazy. But if the agreement give government these powers, then let workers read it too.

Right now I can’t even get decent pay to build a proper house. I barely have time for myself because I could get call out to work. I can’t even try to build a family or have a normal life. It feel like the people at the bottom always have to carry the burden while nobody listening.

I asking anybody who have a copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for non-established government workers from this decade to please share it. Workers should not have to beg just to see the agreement that affecting their own job.

I hope somebody hear this and something change.

Concerned Government Worker

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: Nowhere Else to Turn.