Colombia, unions, industry, and government meet to discuss minimum wage income

*Unionized workers assured that the initiative of small entrepreneurs is illegal *Key data for the minimum wage debate is inflation

Transcript

00:00And we stay in Colombia where the bidding for the minimum wage increase has started and some unions have already proposed their

00:07Percentage which is far from the proposal of the workers represented in the central labor unions. Let's see more in the following material

00:16Como es habitual por este mes as usual for this month the central labor trade unions

00:22Industrial organizations and government meet to discuss the increase in the minimum wage for workers in the country

00:28The Colombian Association of micro small and medium enterprises initially put on the table. It's proposal of 5%

00:37A figure that could be approaching the other unions

00:39However, they did not give their proposal and left in the hands of the Ministry of Labor and the government the evolution of the

00:47table of consultation

00:52The great interest that we have is to reach an agreement this year

00:56Some people ask us why we have not given a number and the reason why we have not given it is because we really believe

01:03that the probability of agreement increases a lot if we allow the government to play the role of

01:09Intermediary or conciliator in the middle of this tripartite work as it happened in the year

01:152022 and in the year

01:162023 we almost succeeded in achieving it

01:19For their part the workers who are members of and represented by the National Unitary Command

01:25Assured that the initiative of the small businessmen is illegal since it does not take into account other indicators

01:32Only the inflation index they proposed a two-digit increase

01:36And made a series of suggestions with measures to maintain the purchasing power of the workers

01:43And made a series of suggestions with measures to maintain the purchasing power of the workers and

01:49Thinking of the increases that are coming next year

01:55We made a review of the housing rental rates

01:58That the increases of products regulated by the state be reviewed

02:03So that they are never higher than inflation that the proposals of the pensioners be considered

02:09So that the pension allowance is equal to the minimum wage

02:13And that the health contribution is reduced as well as the contribution to the family compensation funds

02:28That the Bank of the Republic's interest rates be significantly reduced

02:33Because they have been a break on economic reactivation

02:36That financial expenses be reviewed and that the minimum wage increase for 2025 be 12%

02:50In this context what expectations do ordinary citizens have regarding these negotiations and their results

02:59It is not enough for a person who earns the minimum wage and even more so for a person who pays rent who has a family

03:07They always raise it very little and then they raise the public transportation

03:12So no, it must be something that allows one as a Colombian to be able to subsist

03:22Perhaps in a middle ground between what the private sector and the workers union are asking for

03:27Because it is really necessary for all people to have access to a better quality of life. That is the idea

03:39The key data for the discussion of the minimum wage or inflation

03:42Which is 5.2% the contribution of wages to GDP

03:47Which is 2% and productivity which ranges between 1.73% and 3.43%

03:55The first deadline is December 15th to reach a consensus on the minimum wage increase

04:01Where for the moment the parties seem to be distant the deadline is December 30th

04:06Otherwise, it will be signed by decree