Cuban Gov. to Keep 92% of Worker Salaries
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES — Cubans working for firms with foreign capital on the island received a bucket of cold water Tuesday when a new resolution published in the official Gazette fixes their salaries at only 8% of what the joint venture or foreign companies must pay the government in hard currency for their services.
The announcement published by Granma daily quotes Vice-minister of Labor and Social Security, Zamira Marín Triana, as saying the new wage involves a “significant increase” for workers.
Ever since the government announced in October that prospective employees of foreign companies at the Mariel Special Development Zone would be receiving nearly 40% of their real wages before taxes, workers of companies operating with foreign capital on the rest of the island were expecting to receive a higher cut of the wage paid by their employers to the State.
It is the custom in Cuba that if a foreign firm wants its employees to be productive they must pay them an additional amount of hard currency under the table, since the amount they officially receive after the government takes the lion’s share is not a living wage.
January 2nd edition.
I couldn’t find a single reference to this story in Granma Internacional
The real important question is how long until I can get some Cuban cigars delivered to my door in NYC?
please tell me you didn’t think this was a surprise to obama…..
This as the U.S. opens up to Cuba?
This news should shut up any Castro apologist who tries to claim the Cuban government provides “free” healthcare and “free education” to the Cuban people. At a flat income rate of 992%, the Cuban people pay the highest tax rates in the world. They pay for their “free” government services, all right.
Where are the Castro bootlickers on this one? I would especially like to hear from those who would gladly give up 92% of their gross salary to live under the conditions Cubans are forced to accept in Cuba. We are not talking Sweden here. We are talking about a country with constant toilet paper shortages and electricity outages. We are talking about an hour internet access costing a week’s salary. Viva la Revolucion!
If 8% represents a “substantial increase” as the vice-minister says, I can only wonder what the hell were they making before?