NewsWhore
03-27-2007, 02:11 PM
Vice President Rafael Alburquerque met, to no avail, with business and worker's unions representatives yesterday. Alburquerque did, however, point out that at this point he wasn't negotiating for either side and that he was just merely listening to both sides and their proposals. Alburquerque listened as the worker's unions explained that they will not continue to negotiate unless the wage increase affects workers making up to RD$30,000 per month. This has been the main hold up in the negotiations. The business sector insists on limiting the increase to the minimum wage. Companies would be free to adjust wages of those making more than minimum wage. The business representatives did increase its minimum wage offer to 15%, up from 12%. This increase would be done in two phases, one increase of 12%, followed by another of 3% three months later.
The worker's unions are threatening not to go back to the negotiating table if the business sector maintains its positions and have scheduled an internal meeting for 2pm today to discuss details of the process.
Alburquerque was joined by Labor Minister Ramon Fadul and Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado. In an interview with Hoy newspaper, Fadul said that workers in the DR don't receive adequate salaries and urged the business sector to change this. Fadul said that Dominicans can't live with such miserable wages and explained that according to the Central Bank the a family of four needs a minimum RD$18,500 a month.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
The worker's unions are threatening not to go back to the negotiating table if the business sector maintains its positions and have scheduled an internal meeting for 2pm today to discuss details of the process.
Alburquerque was joined by Labor Minister Ramon Fadul and Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado. In an interview with Hoy newspaper, Fadul said that workers in the DR don't receive adequate salaries and urged the business sector to change this. Fadul said that Dominicans can't live with such miserable wages and explained that according to the Central Bank the a family of four needs a minimum RD$18,500 a month.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)