2009 Begins With Minimum
Salary Increase
Mininum salaried private
sector workers will wake
tomorrow morning to a
new year and a salary
raise, as all minimum
private sector salaries
increase by 7% as
approved by the Consejo
Nacional de Salarios
last October.
The increase is to
reflect higher inflation
in 2008 and as
stipulated in the
Acuerdo de Concertación
Nacional signed in 1998,
private sector employers
are obligated to pay the
higher minimum salaries
that are adjusted when
the Índice de Precios al
Consumidor (Consumer
Price Index) during a
semester increases by 6%
or more.
However, union groups
are not happy with the
increase, saying it is
too low compared to the
increases in the cost of
living.
For their part, the
Ministerio de Trabajo (Labour
ministry) believes that
it is prudent that
increases are balanced
for both the employer
and employee, as too
high an increase could
lead to layoffs as
companies face tough
economic times in 2009.
Public sector employees
also get a pay raise
beginning tomorrow,
however, as custom, the
amount of the raise is
yet to be defined.
Both private and public
sector employees will
see their raise
reflected on their first
paycheck for 2009 on
January 15th.
The following is a
sample list of minimum
salaries. The full list
is available at the
Ministerio de Trabajo
website.
| |
New Salary |
Old Salary |
|
Bricklayer |
˘7.154* |
˘6.686* |
|
Carpenter |
˘7.154* |
˘6.686* |
|
Bus Driver |
˘7.154* |
˘6.686* |
|
Baker |
˘7.154* |
˘6.686* |
|
Receptionist |
˘207.234 |
˘193.677 |
|
Secretary |
˘218.036 |
˘203.772 |
| Domestic
servant |
˘115.435** |
˘107.883** |
| Taxi Driver |
˘7.852* |
˘7.338* |
* daily wage
** plus meals
|
