Chile Continues Debating Over Ethical Wage Issue

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Santiago Times

CHILE CONTINUES DEBATING OVER ETHICAL WAGE ISSUE

(Aug. 13, 2007) Chile’s politicians this past weekend continued to debate the fairness of the country’s minimum wage and how best to address equity issues. The debate was prompted by observations made last week by Rancagua Bishop Alejandro Goic, who urged the nation’s leaders to support an “ethical” wage. Goic recently participated in contract negotiations between subcontracted workers and the state-owned Codelco mining company.

The Catholic Church leader’s call for an ethical wage was initially ridiculed by rightist Sen. Evelyn Matthei (UDI), who said Goic knew nothing about economics and should involve himself in issues of this kind (ST, August 9). But Sebastián Piñera – a prominent businessman and a past and potential presidential candidate for the center-right Renovacion Nacional Party – proposed creating an ethical wage for Chilean families so that all households will have a monthly wage of 280,000 pesos (US$535) – subsidized by the government.
(snip)

Christian Democrat (DC) party leader Sen. Soledad Alvear dismissed the proposals of both rightist parties, saying neither had the faintest idea about the real issue of social equity. Alvear called for “a new fiscal pact to make room for a new social pact. We (DC) want this effort to have an effect in both the public and the private sectors. so that we can have decent working conditions and ethical salaries.”

President Michelle Bachelet has yet to comment on the proposals brought forward by the two rightist parties, but last Wednesday said she was very pleased that the social equity issue seemed finally to be resonating in Chile’s society. “A country that is growing and developing like ours needs to understand that extreme inequality is a great national shame that is unacceptable ,” said Bachelet. “It is not about politics of the left versus politics of the right, or about being for or against business, or the government, or the opposition political parties. It is most certainly an issue that our government has assumed with great seriousness. But it is an issue that should unite all of us, so that it can be solved once and for all.”



Read more: http://www.tcgnews.com/santiagotimes/index.php?nav=story&story_id=14430&topic_id=15

[Odin2005]

1. K&R

Go Chile!

[David__77]

2. Even the fascists are supporting a minimum wage increase.

It's not surprising though; they can appeal to populist instincts when they need to. Chile needs to rid itself of the neo-liberal virus.