Haiti: the anger of workers in export industries does not weaken
Workers demand an increase in their wages during a demonstration in Port-au-Prince, February 16, 2022. AFP - RICHARD PIERRIN
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Last week in Haiti, workers in the textile subcontracting industry demonstrated to demand an increase in the minimum wage, which has remained unchanged for the past three years.
The government announced a revaluation on Monday, but at a level much lower than their expectations.
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With our correspondent in Port-au-Prince,
Amélie Baron
On paper, the 37% increase in the minimum wage for workers in export industries may seem generous, but this wage revision comes as Haiti has experienced annual inflation of more than 20% each of the past three years.
Trade unionist Dominique Saint Eloi deplores the impoverishment of Haitian workers.
“
Life has become more expensive and we must not forget that, on top of all this, the government has increased the prices of petroleum products.
The cost of transport has doubled, the price of basic necessities has doubled.
Workers cannot live on 685 gourdes a day.
Our demand for
1,500 gourdes is reasonable and we are asking for it because the bosses have been punishing the workers for three years with starvation wages while, at the same time, they benefit from state privileges: they have franchises customs and tax exemptions.
»
The other advantage of exporting companies is to sign contracts in dollars for the American market, but to pay their workers in gourdes, the local currency which has lost more than a third of its value for three years.
The new daily wage was set Monday at 685 gourdes, or only 73 euro cents per hour.
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