APUA shop steward Zabina Nicholas used a high-profile rally platform to champion stronger mental health protections for workers, placing employee well-being at the forefront of her address.
According to Antigua News Room, Nicholas spoke at the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party and Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union rally held at the V.C. Bird bust, where she urged continued advocacy for workers' rights and called for reforms to employment contracts to better reflect workplace stress and staffing challenges.
"Change the contract… because we care about the mental health," Nicholas said, emphasising that stress levels remain high and that workers deserve policies that recognise their well-being.
Nicholas outlined a clear goal: establishing permanent mental health frameworks across workplaces by 2027. Her vision includes leadership commitment, dedicated resources and the full integration of mental health support into human resource practices.
Her proposals covered a broad range of measures, including manager training, flexible work arrangements, privacy protections, medical leave for mental health purposes and structured return-to-work systems.
Drawing on international data, Nicholas highlighted that work-related mental health conditions remain a pressing global concern, referencing findings that link long working hours and workplace pressures to serious health outcomes.
"We will not allow our people to succumb to this cycle," she told supporters.
Nicholas stressed that mental health must become a core component of workplace safety and productivity — not an afterthought — as part of a wider effort to improve conditions for workers across Antigua and Barbuda.
"A strong mind makes a strong worker, but many strong minds make a great nation," she said.
