He argentine government set an increase in the minimum wage of 30% in total between February and March, the presidential spokesperson reported this Tuesday, in the midst of an annual inflation of more than 250%.
“The parties have not been able to reach an agreement due to the discussion over the minimum salary“said spokesman Manuel Adorni, referring to the failure last Thursday of the Minimum Wage Council, made up of the government, business chambers and unions, which requested an 85% increase.
In these circumstances, Adorni added, “The government must reach an agreement between the parties and set a minimum wage“, something that the president Javier Milei had initially rejected.
The number was established at 180,000 pesos for February (US$ 204 at the official exchange rate), which represents an increase of 15% compared to the current 156,000 pesos, and 202,800 pesos for March (US$ 230) and an increase of 30% with regarding the current amount.
Since the last salary adjustment in December, the inflation It was 25.5% that month and 20.6% in January, for 254% year-on-year inflation.
The salary adjustment occurs at a time when conflict is increasing in Argentina, where the poverty It reaches 57% of the population, according to a study by the Social Debt Observatory of the Argentine Catholic University (UCA) released this weekend.
This is the highest poverty figure established by this private measurement in the last 22 years.
The railway union plans a national strike on Wednesday, the Health Workers Federation called for another strike on Thursday and four teaching unions announced similar forceful measures for the start of classes, between next week and the following week.
The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, had announced on Monday night in a television interview that the government was going to set an increase in the minimum wage.
The General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the largest union center in Argentina and opposition-oriented, on Thursday accused the government of being ultra-liberal Javier Milei of making the Wage Council fail, “breaking a long tradition of tripartite social dialogue”.
“I don’t believe that a politician can define a price by hand. It doesn’t even occur to me. Am I going to issue a decree setting a price?“, said Milei on Friday about setting a minimum wage, after the meeting failed.
Source: Gestion
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