The Argentine government has set an increase minimum wage of a total of 30% between February and March, the presidential spokesman reported this Tuesday amid a inflation of more than 250% annually.
“The parties did not manage to reach an agreement in the discussion about the minimum wage,” said spokesman Manuel Adorni, referring to the failure of the minimum wage council made up of the government, economic chambers and unions last Thursday. , who called for an 85% increase.
In these circumstances, Adorni added, “the government must reach an agreement between the parties and set a minimum wage,” something President Javier Milei had initially rejected.
The figure was set at 180,000 pesos ($204 at the official exchange rate) for February, up 15% from the current 156,000 pesos, and at 202,800 pesos ($230) for March, up 30% from the current amount corresponds to the current 156,000 pesos.
Since the last salary adjustment in December, inflation was 25.5% this month and 20.6% in January, representing inflation of 254% year-on-year.
According to a study published this weekend by the Social Debt Observatory of the Argentine Catholic University (UCA), the salary adjustment comes at a time when conflict is increasing in Argentina, where 57% of the population is affected by poverty.
This is the highest poverty figure recorded by this private measure in the last 22 years.
The railway workers’ union is planning a nationwide strike on Wednesday, the Health Workers Federation called for another strike on Thursday and four teachers’ unions announced similar strong measures for the start of classes between next week and the following week.
Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced in a television interview on Monday evening that the government would increase the minimum wage.
The General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT), Argentina’s largest trade union confederation and with an opposition orientation, accused Javier Milei’s government on Thursday of causing the wage council to fail and thereby “breaking a long tradition of tripartite social dialogue”.
“I don’t think a politician can set a price by hand. That doesn’t even occur to me. Am I going to issue a decree that sets a price?,” Milei said Friday about setting a minimum wage after it failed at the meeting.
SPRING: AFP