In the National Salary Council there is still no agreement to set the basic salary for 2022.
This morning, both workers and employers remained expectant for the announcement that President Guillermo Lasso will make starting at 7:45 p.m. on the salary issue. The expectation is generated after a message that the president placed on the TikTok platform. In this one he comes out happy, moving his head back and forth (as if dancing and making an affirmative gesture) and accompanied by two grenadiers from Tarqui. In the middle of that head movement, a message is read that says: “Presi, what happened to the increase in the basic salary you offered?” And a second message in response stating: “This Monday we will give an important message on the salary issue”.
The president’s announcement will be made a week before the maximum date established by the Ministry of Labor to define the basic salary for 2022, and to try to reach an agreement between workers and employers. However, this agreement has not yet been given, as explained by representatives of both sectors.
Édgar Sarango, representative of the workers in the National Council of Work and Salaries, explained that there was some kind of meeting only with his sector, but explained that no agreement has yet been reached. In any case, he said: “That announcement he has made on TikTok is somewhat congratulatory, but we will wait to see on what basis it will be pronounced”.
Is that, since the weekend, some messages in networks spoke that the increase would be $ 25 by 2022. This, in accordance with the offer of the Government to raise the salary to $ 500 in the four years of his term. Currently, Ecuador’s salary is $ 400, the third highest in the region.
When asked if he sees a feasible increase of $ 25 in the midst of an economy that is just recovering, Sarango he said defeatist scenarios are always being presented. He added that the workers are not responsible for this. In any case, he said that an increase in this type is viable, especially since this will generate higher consumption, higher productivity and, therefore, economic recovery.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Gómez de la Torre, representative of the employers, ratified that there is no agreement between workers and employers and limited itself to saying that, “apparently, the president has made a decision”. However, he recalled that at the last meeting of the Salary Council it had been decided to extend the deadline until December 22 to reach an agreement. He explained that this last meeting has not happened.
He agreed with Sarango in indicating that They are expectant about what the president is going to do with his announcement. “We trust that the good news that has been announced will be good for workers, employers, taking into account that 90% of the companies are micro, and mainly considering that 7 out of 10 Ecuadorians do not even have a salary,” he said..
For Gómez de la Torre, such an increase would not be feasible for thousands of small businesses, that “are just raising their heads” due to the pandemic.
Since there is no agreement, then, it is not clear what would be the modality for a possible salary increase. Nevertheless, In the government of Lenín Moreno there was an attempt that was never fulfilled and that was to deliver a wage compensation bonus from the fiscal coffers of $ 60 to all those who earned the basic salary.
On this issue, Gómez de la Torre confirmed that this announcement made in Moreno’s time was not complied with and that there were legal limitations that prevented it. In any case, he said that, if there were this option, he would ask himself: where do these resources come from? (I)
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