December is approaching. That is, the month is approaching in which the minimum wage that will govern during 2025 will be discussed. Fabio Arias, president of the Unitary Central of Workers (CUT), the discussion will have a more political than economic tone. Furthermore, in an interview with EL TIEMPO, he assured that, Although they expect a double-digit increase, they are still learning to navigate these decisions.
“We had a doctorate in the opposition and now we are mere apprentices supporting the government“Arias assured.
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The panorama seems feconomically favorable due to the inflation figures in the country, which remain low. In September, this reached 5.81 percent annually. For Arias, this has been an underutilized feature.
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“The handbrake that is currently not letting the economy take off are the interest rates of the Bank of the Republic. They have fallen, but not at the rate of inflation. A much stronger fit is needed. “That is essential for investment and consumption to be reactivated.”
Fabio Arias
Milton Díaz / CEET
Regarding salary negotiation, Arias assured that ““With absolute certainty we (the union) are going to ask for two digits.”and they will ask the government “the review or renegotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA)”. Furthermore, he assures that from the CUT they will press “so that the issue of rents, public services and the Acpm does not hit people so hard. For example, in rents we say that they should not rise as much as inflation, especially for those who earn less.”
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A discussion full of tensions
For Arias, the discussion of the 2025 minimum wage will have a more political than economic tone. “I believe that this year the negotiation is going to be even more difficult. On the last two occasions the government spent part of its political capital. He managed to do it the first time, but last year he couldn’t. The decree was issued without the businessmen arriving and in addition they never made their figure public. What does that prove? “That the business community is not willing to reach any agreement with the government.”
And he added: “We have reached a moment in which the business community is playing in open opposition. Their repeated positions on economic activity, labor or health reform reflect that they are in the opposition.”
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Fabio Arias, president of the CUT
Milton Díaz / CEET
For Arias, this political panorama indicates one thing: “I think that like last year it will be by decree. It is more complicated because the positions are more defined. More than a problem of economic discussion, it is a political one. “One has to listen to these messages.”
Finally, he assured: “I have been an opponent of all governments for 35 years, but we are supporting this one. There is a poem by Mario Benedetti that says: “when I had all the answers, all the questions changed.” The same thing happened to us. We had a doctorate in the opposition and now we are mere apprentices supporting the government.
PORTFOLIO
