Prime Minister Gaston Browne has expressed his deep frustration with the recent industrial actions taken by the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT), describing them as “disproportionate” and detrimental to the welfare of the nation’s youth.

PM Browne acknowledged that while the overdue allowances should be addressed, he questioned the legitimacy of the teachers’ decision to engage in actions that disrupt students’ education.

“Are teachers now above the fray; that they can take disproportionate action and put our children out of school for outstanding allowances that are being paid?” he queried.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government is committed to processing these payments, revealing that most teachers have already received their cheques. He expressed disappointment over the delays in documentation processing and called into question the teachers’ priorities, saying, “You don’t ‘throw out the baby with the bath water’. What has teaching come to if they don’t prioritize the interests of their students?”

Browne further suggested that the current unrest may have political motivations, claiming that some teachers are using the situation to make political statements rather than focusing on the educational impact of their actions.

“If we are going to call a ‘spade a spade’, we have a lot of teachers who are into politics; this is actually a political response. It doesn’t even have to do with the payment of allowances,” he declared.

The Prime Minister pointed out previous salary increases given to public servants, dismissing claims that the current grievances are rooted in pay issues.

“We gave an increase of 9 percent, so the issue is not about pay. The latest claims I am hearing involve six individuals who missed out on an allowance simply because they were not on the original list submitted. Instead of the union taking responsibility for this, they continue to strike and keep our children out of school,” he said, labeling their actions as “heartless and totally ridiculous.”

For over a week, teachers have been participating in a ‘work to rule’ campaign, reporting for work but refusing to teach, leaving students in a state of educational limbo.

His comments, were made shortly after returning from a trip to Washington.