Despite not having a spending initiative nor being part of its competence, two bills have been presented by the Congress of the Republic to declare the increase of the minimum wage in our country, which is currently set at S/1,025, to be of national interest. On this subject, the Minister of Labor, Daniel Maurate, questioned in his latest statements that the increase of this income is addressed for political purposes, and not on the basis of technical criteria.
“The idea is that it is a consensus between employers and workers and that it is not a political decision, much less a populist decision. There should not be an increase in the minimum wage from a political point of view, but rather a technical one,” said Maurate. Let us remember that the last time that the adjusted the minimum living wage In Peru it was in May 2022 during the government of former President Pedro Castillo, when it went from S/930 to S/1,025.
Congress proposes raising the minimum wage: how much and when will it be debated?
Throughout our history, Peruvian presidents have issued legal instruments to raise the minimum wage and, in this way, improve the quality of life of citizens. The last adjustment to the RMV was in May 2022, when this basic income went from S/930 to S/1,025, suffering a slight increase of S/95 that remains in force and has not managed to have a consensus formula in the National Labor Council (CNTPE) for its technical review.
In light of the unfulfilled promise of Dina Boluarte’s government to increase this income, two congressmen have presented declaratory bills on the matter that are not binding. The first of them seeks to increase the minimum living wage. from S/1,025 to S/1,500 and the second initiative proposes to automatically adjust this amount to 30% of the Taxable Unit (UIT). That is, S/1,545The authors are parliamentarians Gustavo Cordero Jon Tay and Waldemar Cerrón.
Both proposals have been referred to the Parliament’s Economic and Labour Committees, which will resume their discussions. ordinary work when the 2024-2025 legislative period begins at the end of July. Regarding these initiatives, the president of the Central Reserve Bank, Julio Velarde, said that the decision to increase the minimum wage should be based on technical criteria and not on political motivations.
“What we have sought is that there are clear criteria for increasing the minimum wage, that it is not a political decision and every two years, or the period that is established, it is adjusted. Before elections or for political reasons. That it is something more predictable. Also seeing what happens in the labor market,” he said during the presentation of the inflation report for June 2024.
What did the Minister of Labor say about the increase in the minimum wage?
Regarding the bills that Congress is promoting to increase the minimum living wage, the Minister of Labor, Daniel Maurate, stated that the increase in this income for the second half of the year It depends on the recovery of the economy in our country and “must be analyzed from a technical perspective and not only from a political point of view.”
“Large companies pay more than S/3,000, medium-sized companies pay more than S/1,500, and the highest minimum wage is in micro-enterprises. So if we raise the minimum wage irresponsibly, what will happen is that micro-enterprises, which are trying to formalize and which we must give them facilities to continue on that path, will regress, that is why the increase must be a consensus looking at the technical side,” said Maurate from Arequipa.
He also reiterated that he is not opposed to a wage increase; however, he considered that it should not be taken lightly, since “it is linked to the growth of the country’s economy.” Finally, he recalled that in April there was a significant increase that was not mainly due to mining, but to other drivers of development.
Which government has increased the minimum wage the most in the last 20 years?
From 2003 to the present, the minimum wage has increased by S/615. According to official data reviewed by this newspaper, the government of Ollanta Humala was the one that raised this amount the most in the last 20 years, given that this income went from S/600 to S/850, which is equivalent to 41.67%.
Secondly, there is the administration of former President Alejandro Toledo, who increased the minimum wage twice, from S/410 to S/500, which represents a variation of 21.95%. Then, there is Alan García, who made the increase of the minimum wage official on four occasions, going from S/500 to S/600, which is equivalent to 20%.
Source: Larepublica
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