Antigua and Barbuda to secures tips for hospitality workers

The new law in Antigua and Barbuda will retain tips for hospitality workers. This comes after a barrage of condemnation on no-tip policies by Prime Minister Gaston Browne. A case in point is the policy followed by Sandals Resorts. Browne called such a policy “exploitative”.

As per PM Browne, this policy under which tips instead of being credited to workers are diverted to a fund deprives the employee of extra amounts they get through tips.

It sparks debate over the Sandals policy that tips do not go to its own charitable Sandals Foundation, Browne states. More than that, Browne argues that the company actually limits workers’ ability to benefit from gratuities. Tipping forms an integral part of the tourism culture in Antigua and Barbuda.

Many tourism workers earn most of their income through tips as tourism is one of the main money earners for the country, accounting for more than 70% of the nation’s earnings. According to Browne, such policies rob the workers of what they deserve and also mistreat the working-class citizens of the country.

This bill is a step forward by the government in altering this status quo. Browne has termed the tipping culture “greedy” and “colonial”, comparing it to “plantation behavior”.

Browne believes that the people of Antigua and Barbuda should be fairly recompensed for the wealth generated by tourism and that they should not be expected to forfeit tips earned. The new legislation is to ensure that every resort employee can retain their tips without fear of penalty.

When enacted, this bill will be a major shift in the Caribbean tourism template. It will set a benchmark for other nations in this region to deepen the understanding of the fact that the rights on tipping are one of the crucial factors for fair labour practices.

The move by Antigua and Barbuda will place the greatest emphasis on the fact that the government supports a tourism model attracting visitors while also improving the lives of its workers.

This law will make Antigua and Barbuda a model for other countries in the Caribbean, stating this regulation will not hinder tourism activities but rather protect workers.

The government hopes that its enactment of the tipping law will ultimately prove important to the tourism sector in terms of sustainable growth. In and of themselves, to Browne and his administration, the proposed law on tipping is a far bigger thing than gratuities; it represents dignity and fairness at work.

If the law is passed, it will be a watershed one for the standards of the hospitality industry in the Caribbean. The suggestion being made would be one step forward for Antigua and Barbuda, of course-to be a leader in demanding better for the rights of workers in tourism.