Without a doubt, one of the most important issues since the beginning of the year in Venezuela is the increment of Minimum salary for all workers. The President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro It has not made any official announcement and here we tell you how much this increase could be if approved. As has been the case in other Latin American countries and even in various cities in the United States, the minimum wage has increased by a significant percentage and Venezuelan citizens expect the same to happen. Continue reading.
According to the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), the current minimum wage is equivalent to 6.14 dollars. Public sector workers, workers, teachers and even retirees and pensioners have joined the protests to demand an increase in dollars and better working conditions in their institutions. What has been the government’s response?
Increase in the Minimum Wage: what is known?
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, called on workers across the nation to take to the streets to protest against the sanctions imposed by the United States. In addition, he pointed out on Twitter: “We will always defend the full salary of the workers of Venezuela. We will give birth to the resources to continue investing in health, education and housing”.
On the other hand, a message was released on WhatsApp revealing that the country’s minimum wage would rise to 780 bolivars, equivalent to $32.03, as of March 2023. However, the Maduro regime has not yet announced a salary adjustment.
The president of Fedecámaras, Carlos Fernández, pointed out that it will depend a lot on which scheme the private sector and the public sector are allowed to make the remunerations effective. Likewise, he indicated that a different approach to solutions to the country’s problems should be sought and “stop fighting the issue with monetary policies, but rather with policies to stimulate supply and demand.”
What do workers demand in Venezuela?
During the demonstrations, workers in Venezuela have called for an increase in the minimum wage to $50. “The workers demand salaries and pensions indexed to the cost of the basic food basket. We are not going to accept the agreement between Fedecamaras and the Government that violate our rights to have a decent salary”, said the spokesperson for the Colegio Enfermería dto. Capital, Ana Rosario Contreras.
Likewise, according to data from the Center for Documentation and Social Analysis of the Federation of Teachers (Cendas), “a Venezuelan family of five people needed, last December, 63.24 current minimum wages, about 400 dollars, at the exchange rate current, set at 20.52 bolivars per dollar, to pay for the Basic Basket”.