The minimum wage and the caravan with someone else’s hat

The increase to the minimum wage that is in force for this year was given by decree. And then two extraordinary situations arose, the first was a substantial increase above general inflation and the second was to go above the business sector, break the consensus that used to be given in the National Minimum Wage Commission and impose a higher price. in the middle of an economic crisis.

It is a fact that the federal government does not have minimum wage workers. The wage earners who have this income are in private companies and in one that can be considered as the informal, unregulated minimum wage and that does not necessarily increase at the same time as in the formal sector.

So the decree increase in December last year implied increases in business costs and a further blow to confidence.

Fortunately, this year the private sector was already clear that it was better to negotiate an increase to the minimum wage that would satisfy the political needs of Q4 and that would not awaken the temptations of a huge increase.

Something that has the private sector very upset is that they are precisely the ones who assume the additional cost of the increase in wages and it is the federal government that pulls the spotlight to celebrate it as a triumph of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in a clear caravan with someone else’s hat.

Because even the initiative to seek a necessary increase in the purchasing power of minimum wages was not a proposal by López Obrador. The private sector, specifically Coparmex, began in 2016 with a campaign to achieve a “New Salary Culture” that was precisely promoting the recovery of the mini salary with increases above inflation.

It was these businessmen who sought out the main presidential candidates in the 2018 race and achieved the commitment of all, including Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to promote that recovery. Because, the truth is, last six years they did not pay much attention to their approach.

But we know that the 4T loves to appropriate the triumphs of others, in the absence of its own successes. Just as they presume the remittances, which are resources generated in the United States sent by the economically expelled, or as the peso-dollar parity likes to look, when it is not as high as it is now, of course.

The increases to the minimum wage in recent years respond to the urgent need to give that income the minimum purchasing power lost for decades.

It is important that these growth percentages, well above inflation, are focused on these minimum income groups. Otherwise, a price-wage race may be generated, especially now that inflationary expectations have been altered.

It must be achieved by consensus and not by imposition. It is much better what happened this year than last year for stability and confidence.

The effort made by companies, which are not large companies, but micro and small companies, that face increases in their costs without commitments to increase productivity levels must be recognized.

And, incidentally, out of sheer political decency, they should recognize the authors and executors of these increases to the minimum wage at morning conferences and not use them for personal political positioning purposes.

[email protected]

Enrique Campos Suarez

Host of Televisa Newscasts

The great Depression

Graduated in Communication Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, with a specialty in finance from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico and a master’s degree in Journalism from the Anáhuac University.

His professional career has been dedicated to different media. He is currently a columnist for the newspaper El Economista and a host of newscasts on Televisa. He is the owner of the 2:00 pm news space on Foro TV.

He is a specialist in economic-financial matters with more than 25 years of experience as a commentator and host on radio and television. He has been part of companies such as Radio Programs de México, where he participated in the VIP business radio. He was also part of the management and talent team of Radio Fórmula.



Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx

Leave a Comment