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A street vendor on the sidelines of an event called by the textile workers' unions on October 28 in Port-au-Prince. REUTERS / Andres Martinez Casares

While the protest has been brewing for more than two months against President Jovenel Moise, the government has announced a rise in minimum wages. A measure that only fuels anger, both on the side of the unions of workers and employers.

With our correspondent in Port-au-Prince, Amélie Baron

The employers' organizations do not digest the fact that the presidency of Jovenel Moise acted without having taken into account the crisis context. The bosses absolutely recognize the need to correct the effects of inflation, which has now exceeded 20%, but since the end of August economic activities have been paralyzed . Many companies had to lay off or temporarily lay off hundreds of employees: how to increase wages even when their turnover is close to zero?

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On the side of the workers' unions, the anger is just as strong because the rise is not enough to cover the price increases for food, transport and housing. And in the face of the rapid depreciation of the gourd, the national currency, wages do not increase in the end.

Last October, for a day of 8 hours of work in textile factory, a worker touched 420 gourdes, which was equivalent to 5.20 euros at the time. With this increase, his new daily wage is now 500 gourdes, which is only 4.65 euros.