Attorney General and St. John's City South candidate Sir Steadroy Benjamin has rejected proposals for a four-day work week, arguing the policy is incompatible with Antigua and Barbuda's economic realities.
According to Antigua News Room, Benjamin made the remarks during a candidate interview ahead of the April 30 general election, contending that while such a model may function in larger, developed nations, it cannot simply be transplanted into a small developing state.
"That four-day work week works in countries which are developed, diversified economies; those do not work in societies like ours," Benjamin said.
He cautioned strongly against adopting foreign policy frameworks without tailoring them to local conditions, dismissing the proposal in pointed terms.
"These fanciful theoretical ideas that they've got, you can't transplant that into Antigua and Barbuda," he said.
Benjamin argued that effective policymaking must be built around the country's specific economic structure and challenges, rather than mirroring systems designed for different circumstances.
"We have our own special idiosyncrasies… we must cut the cloth to fit our bodies," he said.
The four-day work week has been raised as part of broader policy discussions during the current election campaign. Benjamin, seeking re-election in St. John's City South, cast his position as part of a wider contrast between what he described as tested government policies and proposals he considers unproven.
He pointed to wage increases and ongoing economic initiatives as evidence of what he characterised as a more grounded and practical approach to governance.
