Haitian lawmakers have
voted to more than double the country's minimum wage.
The vote Tuesday night came after long hours of debate and clashes between police and protesters who were complaining about not being able to feed and shelter their families on the current pay of about $1.75 a day.
The plan adopted by the lawmakers fell short of the $5 wage demanded by the demonstrators.
But it's expected to more than double the minimum pay to about $3.75 a day.
The raise would also include workers at factories producing clothes for export, a proposal opposed by President Rene Preval and some development experts who argue that a pay increase would hurt plans for fighting Haiti's widespread unemployment.
The minimum wage issue has been inflammatory in impoverished Haiti but despite heated debate and occasional violence, few people will be affected by the increase because only some 250,000 Haitians have jobs covered by the Minimum Salary Law.
Most employed Haitians work on small farms or sell basic goods on the streets.
The increase has not found favour with some development experts who argue that a pay rise will hurt plans for fighting Haiti's widespread unemployment.
They want to see more jobs created in Government factories and argue that increased minimum wage could hurt such initiatives that required that costs be kept down.
The vote Tuesday night came after long hours of debate and clashes between police and protesters who were complaining about not being able to feed and shelter their families on the current pay of about $1.75 a day.
The plan adopted by the lawmakers fell short of the $5 wage demanded by the demonstrators.
But it's expected to more than double the minimum pay to about $3.75 a day.
The raise would also include workers at factories producing clothes for export, a proposal opposed by President Rene Preval and some development experts who argue that a pay increase would hurt plans for fighting Haiti's widespread unemployment.
The minimum wage issue has been inflammatory in impoverished Haiti but despite heated debate and occasional violence, few people will be affected by the increase because only some 250,000 Haitians have jobs covered by the Minimum Salary Law.
Most employed Haitians work on small farms or sell basic goods on the streets.
The increase has not found favour with some development experts who argue that a pay rise will hurt plans for fighting Haiti's widespread unemployment.
They want to see more jobs created in Government factories and argue that increased minimum wage could hurt such initiatives that required that costs be kept down.
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