Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday announced an increase in state bonuses for public sector workers but kept the minimum wage frozen at the equivalent of less than $4 a month.
“Today, I have decided to raise the minimum comprehensive income of workers to $130,” the leftist president said at a meeting with oil industry workers in Caracas after participating in a May Day march.
The “comprehensive minimum income” comprises the minimum wage of $3.50, plus a $40 food bonus and an “Economic War Bonus” that will be raised from $60 to $90, ruling party lawmaker and former labour minister Francisco Torrealba said after the president did not give specifics.
The “Economic War Bonus” was created to counteract the effect of US sanctions against Venezuela and only applies to the 5.5 million public sector workers in the country of 30 million.
The increase has no impact on benefits such as other bonuses and…
Source: Guardian Newspaper
