The minimum wage that can be paid to a construction worker in the country was increased by 24% after an agreement between the Government, workers and employers.
The increase in the minimum wage approved by the National Salary Committee will be applied by 21% as of May 1, and the remaining 3% after the first of October.
President Louis Abinader and the Labor Minister, Luis Miguel De Camps, made the announcement on Monday morning, at a press conference attended by businessmen and trade unionists.
The measure impacts plumbers, masons, carpenters, electricians, painters, rodders and construction workers.
With these seven, there are 14 sectors that have received a wage increase as a result of government mediation between workers and employers.
Some of the increases to the minimum paid in the country have affected employees of private companies, cane growers, tourism workers, farmers, heavy machine operators in the construction area, and NGO workers.
Pedro Julio Alcántara, representative of construction workers, explained that the lowest salary earned by unskilled workers for an eight-hour day will go from 700 to 900 pesos, and a mason, from the lowest category, will go from 1,300 to 1,600 pesos.
The Ministry of Labor they have yet to publish the resolution with the more than 400 rates that underwent changes for all paid activities carried out by the Construction workers.
Pedro Brache, president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), celebrated the decision and considered that it is a “substantial increase”. “The most important thing is that we have worked together and we have agreed,” said the businessman.
impoverishing growth
After making the announcement, President Abinader assured that the Dominican people have experienced impoverishing growth for too long, with many benefits for a few, and little distribution for the majority.
To change that reality, the president said: “We are changing that dynamic and we are going to promote a fair distribution of national wealth.”
He affirmed that he will continue to favor the social and carry out a management attached to the street and attending to the demands of all Dominicans.
Abinader added that he will continue to apply measures that, like this one, improve the lives of Dominicans.
