The president insists that the increase is still in force, announces control over employers and prepares a transitional decree while the substance of the process is resolved.
Colombia News.
The president Gustavo Petro toughened its position regarding the national debate on the minimum wage and assured that the increase decreed under the concept of “living minimum wage” must be paid without delay by the entire business community, despite the provisional suspension of the decree ordered by the Council of State.
According to the president, the decreed minimum living wage remains in force until the Presidency issues a transitional decree, which will govern while the high court makes a final decision. In this framework, he announced that the Government will present resources to clarify the judicial order, arguing that the constitutional criterion of the living and mobile salary enshrined in article 53, developed by the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court.
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The head of state also warned that the Ministry will strengthen labor surveillance and the reception of complaints, which will be processed in accordance with the law, which could translate into greater institutional control over companies that do not apply the payment with the increase.
In parallel, the president made a direct call to the business community to go to the Labor Concertation Commissionconvened by the Government in order to open dialogue and seek agreements before the issuance of the transitional decree. Petro framed this initiative within what he called a “Pact for Life”, to which he now added the production component.
During his statement, the president also mentioned the former president Alvaro Uribe Velezpointing out as “advance” that there is no disagreement regarding the concept of a living wage.
In this context, he introduced the fiscal component to the debate, stating that in a possible economic emergency, taxes should be aimed at reducing the concentration of income and the primary deficit, avoiding affecting productive profits and salaries.
