Debate on the increase in the minimum wage is still on the waiting list due to the absence of the business sector

This Friday, August 25, the union and company representatives that make up the recently reinstated National Labor Council (CNT) were going to have a meeting to address the priority issues on the agenda for the labor sector. Nevertheless, the conciliation was suspended at the last minute by the National Confederation of Private Business Institutions (Confiep), entity representing the business sector and in charge of coordination. As they indicated, it was due to health problems that one of the members of the council had.

The new date for the rescheduling will be communicated to the unions of workers, at the latest, next week.

One of the central issues to be discussed at this meeting is the increase in the minimum vital wage (RMV), as well as the debate on the labor code proposals.

“We have put the discussion at the forefront of the immediate increase in the minimum vital remuneration and pensions for retirees, especially those of Law 19990. We have also proposed the debate of the work codewho must be sleeping in some folder of the Ministry of Labor”, stated Gustavo Minaya, assistant general secretary of the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), to The Republic.

Minaya added that the CGTP maintains a firm position of approval with respect to DS-001, aimed at improving working conditions and limiting outsourcing, and DS-014, which modifies the “Regulations of the collective labor relations law.” Both were approved the previous year by the MTPE and the union will not get involved in any discussion about it.

During her presidential message, Dina Boluarte promised to announce a wage hike “soon”. In this regard, Minaya stressed that one of the Government’s priorities must be to combat poverty and ensure citizens with fewer resources. In this sense, salaries should be progressively increased until they reach the amount of a basic family basket in the coming years, which is even subsistence and is S / 2,075, according to INEI.

“The amount of the remuneration is S/1,025. What do businessmen and the government want to tell us? That each person in the family unit has to live or subsist or survive with 6.90 soles a day. That is extremely illogical,” he added.

What other issues does the General Confederation of Workers of Peru have on the agenda?

The CGTP also has other important issues on its agenda, such as thea reform in the agro-export regime and improvements in the situation of foreign workers. In addition, they seek to promote a comprehensive reform in the health system and the reformulation of a national employment plan.

Added to this is his interest in thoroughly reviewing Chapter 5 of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Plan, which was approved by the Executive in December 2018 without having been previously discussed in the National Labor Council.