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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Haitians would now enjoy an increase of wages to more than double the country's current minimum wage.
Lawmakers voted on this after long hours of debate and clashes between police and protesters who were complaining about not being able to feed and shelter their families on the current pay of about $1.75 a day.
While the plan adopted by the lawmakers fell short of the $5 wage demanded by the demonstrators it's expected to more than double the minimum pay to about $3.75 a day.
President Rene Preval and some development experts argued that the pay increase would hurt plans for fighting Haiti's widespread unemployment.
The minimum wage issue has been inflammatory in impoverished Haiti but despite heated debate and occasional violence, few people will be affected by the increase because only some 250,000 Haitians have jobs covered by the Minimum Salary Law.
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