Wage talks stall a bit

[NewsWhore]

Although employers have raised their offer from a 9.30% increase for minimum wage earners to a 12% increase, talks are stalled for now. Yesterday's long and drawn out negotiating session between labor union leaders and employers' representatives was chaired by Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado who served as moderator and mediator. The Minister of Labor and the Monsignor called the meeting a "get together" to discuss the controversial issues surrounding a wage increase. Business representatives presented their case but it was rejected by the unions on two issues: First, the offer only applied to workers who earn the minimum wage, not those earning up to RD$30,000 per month; and second, the offer was far below the 25% increase being sought by the labor representatives. As a result, Diario Libre reports that the business sector has asked for a few days to carry out some consultations with their membership, and the labor unions have suspended their calls for strikes and protests outside the "Torre Empresarial" (the Business Tower) for the time being. In addition, the paper reports that a National Salaries Commission meeting was suspended, although Labor Minister Jose Fadul pointed out that no decisions from the current meetings would be valid unless approved by the NSC.

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