Within the drama of unemployment, lack of growth in the country and poor distribution of income, two of the most critical factors are the minimum living wage and labor legislation. These two factors have decisively contributed to the fact that Ecuador does not attract labor-intensive foreign investments, that is, investments that create mass employment.

The minimum wage in Ecuador, adorned by the thirteenth and fourteenth salary, makes the cost of the Ecuadorian worker one of the three highest in Latin America; comparable to those of Uruguay and Chile, both countries with GDP per capita several times higher than ours.

But when we add to that the labor legislation that approves a 15% share in the company’s profit in favor of the worker, that imposes a very difficult retirement of the employer when the worker reaches more than 20 years of service in the company and that determines certain penal costs. to lay off workers, although the company must adapt to survive and protect the employment of others, then the cost of labor in Ecuador becomes unquestionably the highest in the region.

Who in their right mind would invest in the state? For this reason, the maquila never came, companies were never established to take advantage of the great manual and craft skills of the Ecuadorians.

When we talk about “justice for workers” in confusing and incorrect language, we are not talking about a huge injustice for the vast majority who do not have a formal job. These, who do not enjoy any protection, are victims of the existing legislation and the existing salary policy which makes them regressive, completely exclusive and which for decades has marginalized those millions of Ecuadorians who dream of a decent job with the minimum wage. protection.

The executive power now has the opportunity to “tie its pants” and determine that it cannot continue with the corrections of minimum wages in a populist and demagogic manner.

On the other hand, the legislature has the opportunity to show that the agreement that led to the appointment of parliamentary powers and the distribution of commissions is not a “vaccine” for the “management” of the president, but rather an open door to face the serious problems that Ecuador has, among them employment and improvement income distribution so important.

If the state has had these wrong wage policies and this labor legislation for decades, if it has given inglorious subsidies for decades, and poverty has not decreased, is it not stupid and clumsy to keep looking for things to improve by maintaining absolutely worn out… external and proven schemes? wrong?

The executive and legislature have the first opportunity to give hope to the country by changing these things. If they do not, we are faced with an absolutely traditional political scheme, nothing new, no change, but the certainty that things will continue to be bad and the country without hope. (OR)