The country’s main labor unions have met to ask for an increase in extraordinary way of minimum wage for workers. They include the CUT (Central Union of Workers), the CTC (Confederation of Workers of Colombia) and the CGT (General Confederation of Labor); in conjunction with Colombian pensioners’ associations.
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The entities state that it is necessary to make this change by the inflationary rise which in the first quarter of 2022 reached its highest rate in 21 years. In particular, it has had a strong impact on the price of food, and therefore, on the family shopping basket.
Fernando Maltés, president of the CUT, assured that they would draft a document together with the other labor unions, addressed directly to the Presidency of the Republic, stating the reasons for decreeing an increase in the minimum wage.
“We will make a request for a general increase in wages and salaries, to the national government and to President Iván Duque”, said Maltés, in statements quoted by ‘RCN Radio’.
According to the representative, the minimum wage currently fails to cover the workers needs due to the increase in the cost of living. “The increase agreed on December 17 has been devoured by inflation, in the last year prices have grown 9.26%, but food stands out, which has grown 30%,” said the union leader.
The proposal that they will present to the National Government contemplates that increases be made in workers wages from both private and public sectors. However, they have not specified the value they have in mind and what they will ask President Duque for.
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Maltés assured that they are working together with economic analysts to have the concrete proposal immediately. According to information from Dane (National Administrative Department of Statistics), this first quarter of 2022 closes with a increase in household spending of 12.2%, while the minimum wage increased by only 10.7%. In addition, with respect to April 2021, DANE found that tubers, such as potatoes, arracacha and yams, became more expensive by 13.48%.
BRIEFCASE
With information from EL TIEMPO*
