In a note, the Economic Forum of the Private Sector notes with concern that the wage demands of the workers' sector have degenerated into violent demonstrations that have disrupted the work of textile exporting companies, forcing them to temporarily suspend their activities on Saturday 20 And on Monday 22 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20989-haiti-flash-workers-forced-to-take-the-street-companies-close.html

The Forum reaffirms its members' unanimous commitment to respect for the law and in particular the Labor Code. ""The application of Article 137 of this Code dealing with the adjustment of the minimum wage should not suffer any exception in the interest of all" recalling that "The textile sector which represents more than 80% of the Exports and provides more than 40,000 direct jobs, is highly sensitive to changes in the cost of inputs. The survival of enterprises in this sector and the maintenance of the jobs they create are incompatible with violence and require constructive social dialogue, leading in particular to the setting of reasonable wages and the establishment of fair conditions of work.

Demonstrations organized outside of democratic principles and labor law have resulted in economic losses for both businesses and workers, as well as for the economy as a whole and have affected the external image of Haiti. They have a negative effect on the public and private efforts undertaken in recent years to better reposition Haiti in the region, to improve its competitiveness gains and to attract more domestic and foreign investment."

On Wednesday, the situation had not yet returned to normal at the level of companies of SONAPI park, nly three factories were idle, while most of the others remained closed despite the presence of workers who refused to work .

On Thursday, during a press briefing at the diplomatic lounge of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the Head of State questioned on the subject said "Only dialogue can solve the problem of the minimum wage," appealing to the Supreme Council of Salaries (CSS) to pronounce on the question before adding "The State is in the process of making provisions at the level of the industrial parks to meet urgent needs in terms of accompanying the workers: subsidy of food, health insurance and transport."

For his part, Georges Sassine, President of the Association of Industry of Haiti (ADIH), called for a return to calm, saying he was open to dialogue on increasing the daily minimum wage of subcontractors, while affirming that a 100% increase, was totally unacceptable for the bosses.

Note that the trade unions announce 4 new days of demonstrations, to continue demanding an adjustment of the daily minimum wage to 800 gourdes: Friday 26, Monday 29, Tuesday 30 May and Thursday 1 June 2017.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20989-haiti-flash-workers-forced-to-take-the-street-companies-close.html

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre