Prime Minister Gaston Browne has warned that industrial action and poorly timed demands could destabilise Antigua and Barbuda as the country confronts growing uncertainty in the global economy.

Browne made the comments while discussing recent demands from gas station dealers and other fuel-sector businesses for increases in their profit margins.

Several service stations temporarily closed before representatives met with the prime minister to discuss higher operating expenses, including credit card processing fees and increased labour costs.

Browne acknowledged that some of the concerns raised by the dealers were reasonable. However, he said the timing was inappropriate because the government had already eliminated the 15% fuel consumption tax and spent millions of dollars subsidising petroleum prices.

A committee comprising fuel wholesalers and retailers is expected to review the industry’s pricing and margin structure. Browne said the intention was to find a fair arrangement and gradually bring operators closer to an acceptable level of parity.

He said resolving such disputes through consultation would remove sources of friction and help preserve national stability.

“Keeping our country stable at this time is especially important. It must be a priority,” Browne said during the Browne and Browne Show.

The prime minister appealed to citizens, workers and businesses to avoid actions that could create further domestic instability while the country remains exposed to international economic and geopolitical shocks.

“There will always be irritants; there will always be issues, but that doesn’t mean you must throw out the baby with the bathwater and destabilise the society,” Browne said.

He argued that a demand could be reasonable but still be made at an unsuitable time.

“If you’re going to add to that global instability by also having a lot of industrial action and making unreasonable demands — or untimely demands, because a demand could be reasonable but untimely — all you’re going to do is destabilise the country,” Browne said.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Warns Untimely Industrial Demands Could Destabilise Antigua and Barbuda.