Minimum Wage - Haiti Observer Blog

In an effort to calm the recent street protests about the minimum salary, the government of Jocelerme Privert has announced that a new Decree will be issued today (May 19, 2016). o increase the minimum salary of the employees in Haiti. As a result, the Supreme Council of Salaries has reacted favorably to the announcement. On his part, Prime minister Enex Jean-Charles continues to invite all sectors of the population to work together, stating that only peace and political stability can help the country to find the path of economic development.

What do you think?

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Going against Haitian law, which demands workers be paid a minimum of 300 gourdes for an eight-hour shift, the Council on Salaries (CSS) agreed to raise daily pay to only 225 gourdes.

Outraged members of the Collective of Textile Factory Unions (KOSIT) protested in Port-au-Prince and Ouanaminthe for a 500-gourde daily wage. Textile manufacturers responded acceding to the demands of KOSIT would hinder Haiti from being competitive with Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Tellingly, those countries are infamous for intolerable work conditions and worker abuse.

Avoiding the issue of punitive wages for textile workers, the Association of Haitian Industries asserts, keeping wages extremely low will ". . . help Haiti open up and present itself as a country that is changing and modernizing . . ." To whose benefit?

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On December 10, 2013, hundreds of Haitian workers in assembly industries demonstrated in Port-au-Prince to demand 500 gourdes as minimum wage. As it is often the case in Haiti, protest often means violence and as you know, the world is watching, potential investors are watching and as the Martelly-Lamothe is working hard to open the door for business in Haiti, we are once again engaging in self-destructive behaviors.

Mezanmi, fok nou sispan detri tet pa nou oui! Si nou vle payi sa mache, se pa pa violans non ke li prale mache. Si nou vle ke Ayisyem pa ale an Dominikani pou ale fè Rasist Dominikin imilye nou plis, se pa nan kraze brize non!

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Employers in the Haitian garment manufacturing industry are exploiting their workers as a dirt-cheap form of labor, as well as forcing them to work under unsafe conditions in violation of laws governing the industry. Garment workers are drastically underpaid, on average 32% less than minimum wage requirements. The standard pay rate is $4.54 per eight-hour shift. If they make their quota for the day they receive $6.81. The quotas are set are unrealistically high, the better for employers to avoid paying an extra $2.27 per day.

Henri-Claude Muller-Poitevien, who heads the government of Haiti's Garment Sector Commission (GSC), has an explanation why garment workers can't meet the daily quota. He says they are less able, and need practice to work faster and more competently.

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Dumarsais Estime, Haiti's 33rd president, held office for four years. His presidency is notable because he was the first black leader elected after the U.S. occupation ended in 1934.

Although Estimé married a mulatto elite, his determined educated blacks were to make up the majority of his administration's political appointees. Reversing mulatto elite influence, he championed an education initiative, building schools in poverty-ridden villages and offering advanced teacher-training. This effort created a 45% rise in elementary school attendance.

Dumarsais Estime's agenda included road-construction projects, literacy programs, and improving community services. He also amended the Constitution to provide workers the right to form unions and raised the minimum wage.

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This is an interesting video about the information Wikileaks was able to capture about the outside influence on Haiti.

These information actually showed the pressure exercised by the American Government on Haiti, whether economic or political. As the Wikileaks report published by Haiti Liberte showed, Multi million dollar manufacturing companies from the U.S., with the backing of the US Embassy in Haiti did all they could to prevent the minimum wage for factory workers in Haiti to be $5.00 a day. Some of the companies mentioned include Hanes, Fruit of the Loom and Levi's.

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