Labor-nonprofits coalition accuses employers of trying to paralyze Minimum Wage Review Commission
By THE STAR STAFF
A coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations is calling on Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to fill vacancies on Puerto Rico’s Minimum Wage Review Commission, arguing that employer-sector representatives are attempting to render the body inoperative at a critical stage in its evaluation of potential wage increases affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
The groups contended in a statement Sunday that the recent resignation of employer representative Jaime Núñez has left the commission without the quorum required to conduct business, halting deliberations over a possible increase to Puerto Rico’s $10.50 minimum wage and reviews of wage standards for tipped employees, exempt workers and agricultural laborers.
“The employer class was unable to secure the repeal of Law 47-2021 in the Legislature and is now refusing to participate in the Minimum Wage Review Commission to obstruct its work,” said José Rodríguez, spokesperson for the Movimiento Solidario Sindical.
He noted that tipped workers and agricultural employees continue to earn wages below the current $10.50 hourly minimum.
Under Law 47-2021, the commission is composed of representatives from the employer sector, labor organizations and academia. The law requires a minimum of seven members to establish a quorum. According to commission member Iyari Ríos González, the body currently has only four active members.
Rodríguez criticized both the government and the employer sector for what he described as a lack of commitment to a process designed to evaluate wage conditions across the labor market.
“In Puerto Rico, employers have become accustomed to not having to negotiate with the rest of society,” Rodríguez said. “They complain that businesses are forced to close, but who can afford to go out to eat, go to the movies or purchase other services when wages are inadequate and prices continue rising? If working people do not have money to spend, the entire economy suffers.”
The organizations expressed concern about the timing of the resignation, arguing that it occurred during a crucial phase of the commission’s work and could delay recommendations affecting large segments of the workforce. The coalition said it has formally requested that the governor appoint replacements to fill the vacancies and restore the commission’s ability to operate.
Among the worker groups under review are tipped employees, particularly restaurant workers.
“Our work is precarious and unstable even though we are essential to the tourism industry,” said waitress Karla Sanabria. “This government only responds to powerful interests while the cost of living keeps rising and wages do not increase. We demand wage justice now.”
Ríos González said commission members sent a letter to the governor last month urging appointments to the three vacant positions so the panel can continue its work.
Ríos González, an economist representing the labor sector, noted that the commission had already received a study prepared by consulting firm Abexus Analytics and was in the midst of substantive discussions regarding potential minimum wage adjustments for several categories of workers when the employer representative stepped down.
“That is why we are calling on the governor to begin the appointment process as soon as possible,” Ríos González said. “The commission must be able to continue its work and present its recommendations to the country regarding wage conditions in these sectors.”
The Abexus Analytics study commissioned by the commission is available through Puerto Rico’s Department of Labor and Human Resources and forms part of the commission’s review of wage conditions under Law 47-2021.
