Haiti: Criminal Minimum Wage

central america / caribbean | workplace struggles | other libertarian press Friday March 07, 2008 07:29 by BO - Batay Ouvriye

Comrades - workers, toilers, the unemployed, genuine progressives, the PEOPLE'S CAMP in general:

In our most recent leaflet, we denounced the plot from the bourgeoisie, the State and the rotten pseudo-worker federations to make us swallow a minimum wage they said would not exceed 5 to 10% (meaning: 73.5 to 77 gourdes at the most, $ 1.96 and $ 2.05 respectively!). We also explained the extent of their contempt and hatred for the Haitian People in such wholesale disrespect. In distributing our leaflet to the workers, and in their neighborhoods, it was clear that everybody felt a hard hit. Everywhere, all have decided to MOBILIZE to face off this serious threat!



Today, in addition to the CRIMINAL MINIMUM WAGE , there is also the HIGH COST OF LIVING which continues to increase to the point where we cannot pay for schooling, disease, housing! to the point where people are eating mud pie so as not to starve! This means, we have seen how these HENCHMEN WANT TO KILL US ALL IN THE EXPLOITATION OF OUR LABOR. WORST OF ALL, the State cannot solve the unemployment problem, it does not want to carry out land reforms; it does not intend to improve living conditions in our neighborhoods, and public transportation, and it is not going to provide free education and healthcare as is required in our Constitution! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!



This president we elected together with his government has done nothing in the interests of workers, or the popular masses. And it is not a question of saying "cannot do miracles" to put us to sleep. "Miracles", they have done so, but for others: for the bourgeoisie, for the big eaters, for the capitalists-imperialists! And, while they are telling us: "be patient", be patient!, they are very well off! On our backs! While they are putting in place privatization to benefit the bourgeoisie, stealing tax finances , spending it in grandiose meetings, in expensive trips, in paying high salaries to technocrats; in replenishing their POCKETS!

Comrades: workers, toilers, the unemployed, genuine progressives, THE PEOPLE'S CAMP in general: They have proven to us clearly: THERE ARE NO MORE SECRETS! ALL IS CLEAR TO SEE! From their actions, we could witness: “They are taking it all for themselves and give us nothing! It means, likewise, the solution should be very clear to us: IT IS ONLY A GENERAL MOBILIZATION THAT WILL HELP US SOLVE THIS UNTENABLE SITUATION!



March 3, 2008