After Panama's National Assembly approved a legislative bill that sets the minimum wage for workers in the maritime industry at $4.15 per hour, local businessmen have expressed their disagreement.
The document approved in third debate, establishes in its articles that workers of concessionary companies, contractors and subcontractors of ports and maritime transport terminals will earn a minimum wage of $4.15 per hour throughout the national territory, informed the National Assembly on April 12, 2021.
The average rise is 3.3%, varying from 1% to 8% depending on economic activity, and will be in effect from January 15, 2020.
In the case of the education sector, free zones, hotels, agriculture and water supply the increase will be 1%, while in the area of Bocas del Toro where banana companies operate the adjustment will be 8%.
The Panamanian business sector believes that increasing the minimum wage under current conditions will generate more unemployment and increase informality in the labor market.
With the possibility of an increase in the minimum wage next year, the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep) insisted that in the context of the economic slowdown, it is not possible to increase workers' pay.
The coffee growers oppose the possibility that in El Salvador the minimum wage will be raised, because they assure that the price at which the grain is quoted at an international level, prevents them from paying higher wages.
The National Minimum Wage Council (CNSM) began days ago to review the conditions for deciding whether or not to adjust the minimum wage. This situation has alerted several productive sectors, such as coffee growers.
The 2.53% increase approved for the minimum wage for private sector workers in Costa Rica will be in effect from January 1 next year.
With this increase, a messenger worker who has an Unskilled Occupation and earns today ¢309,143.36 ($518) per month will earn ¢316,964.68 ($531) as the minimum wage, the government said.
The country's business sector proposes that elements such as productivity, economic growth and the level of formality be taken into account when calculating the minimum wage, instead of the decision only revolving around the basic basket variable.
The possible changes to the minimum wage in the country is an issue generating expectations among the different sectors, since in the next few days the National Salary Commission (CNS) will have to discuss the proposals to decide if it increases or decreases.
Nicaraguan authorities and workers' unions decided not to make changes to the minimum wage, so it will be until 2020 when the issue is discussed again.
Days ago there was tension over the possible increase to the minimum wage in a context of economic recession, but finally the negotiating table decided not to make any change.
In the discussion that will begin in Guatemala on the minimum wage that will govern in 2020, the workers seek to unify their demands for an increase of between 10% and 20%.
In mid-September, the National Salary Commission (CNS) should receive the proposals from the different sectors of the workers, so that they can then be considered in the final decision.
Beginning August 29, Nicaragua will begin to negotiate changes in the minimum wage, but the businessmen ask that the decision-making process consider the levels of inflation and fall in production.
The National Wage Committee approved a 14% wage increase for non-sectorized private workers, which will come into effect next August.
The authorities also reported that they have declared themselves in permanent session to start work on reclassifying companies or updating thresholds.
From the Ministry of Labor statement:
Santo Domingo July 9, 2019. The Ministry of Labor, through the National Wage Committee (CNS) approved this afternoon a 14% wage increase for non-sectorized private workers and at the same time was declared in permanent session to begin work on the reclassification of companies or updating the thresholds.
From July 1, the second increase in the minimum hourly wage for construction workers in Panama comes into effect, which occurs in a context of considerable decline in the sector's activity.
The increase is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement CAPAC-Suntracs, whose negotiation ended a strike that in 2018 lasted more than 30 days. According to official figures at the end of the first four months of 2019, the cost of new construction, additions and repairs fell 28% compared to the same period in 2018.
One of the first actions of El Salvador's new president, Nayib Bukele, was to announce the elimination of four secretariats and the creation of two new ones: Innovation and Trade and Investment.
In El Salvador, the changes that are coming with the arrival of Nayib Bukele to power are beginning to be announced, since at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers it was reported that the Technical Secretariat of the Presidency, the Social Inclusion Secretariat, the Governance Secretariat, the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Secretariat, and the Vulnerability Secretariat, all created during the FMLN government, will disappear.
The increase will apply to the private sector from January 1st, 2019, and will continue throughout the year, applying to all salary categories.
The representatives of the National Wage Council reported that after analyzing the proposals presented, the minimum wage adjustment was unanimously approved on October 24th.
Crhoy.com reports that "... The established amount will apply from January 1st, with a validity of one year and its application will be mandatory for all minimum wages established by the decree. The private sector encompasses around 80% of the working people in our country."
The total amount disbursed by the government in payment of salaries up until October 2017 was $321 million, 18% more than in the same month in 2016.
According to a report by the Comptroller General of the Republic, a total of 233,111 posts were registered in October of last year, which are divided into 209,173 permanent and 23,938 contingent workers.By sector, 150,414 corresponded to the Central Government and 82,697 to the Decentralized Sector.
The increases range from 3.9% to 6.15%, depending on the number of employees on the payroll and the economic activity to which the company is dedicated.
The increase applies from January 1, and will be 3.9% for companies with between 1 and 50 employees, 5.5% for those with between 51 and 150 employees, and 6.15% for companies that have more than 150 workers.