The Haitian times
www.haitiantimes.com
By ONZ CHÉRY
CAP-HAITIEN — It is a lose-lose situation, the way the experts explain it.
Haitians cannot live off the country’s minimum wage, even if the government goes through with plans to raise it by an average of 54%. So, textile workers are still demanding an increase to 1,500 gourdes per day, or $14.44, and are back on the streets protesting. However, if the government were to raise the minimum wage, some businesses would cut jobs to lower expenses, experts and some business owners said.
“There’s nothing without consequences,” said Michaëlle Paraison, a member of the Haitian Association of Economists (AHE) based in Port-au-Prince. “You can’t just adjust salaries without first checking employers’ financial statements or we will never get to a just salary.”
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