Within the framework of the XXII Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Labor of the OAS, held in Bogotá, the Minister of Labor of Colombia, Gloria Inés Ramírez Ríos, and her counterpart from Spain, Yolanda Díaz, defended the increase in the minimum wage as effective tool to combat inequality without affecting employment.
At a workshop that brought together labor leaders from the region, both ministers agreed that increasing the minimum wage is key to economic and social development.
During her intervention, Minister Díaz highlighted the positive impact of the salary increase in Spain, where an increase of 54% has reduced inequality by 25%, according to data from the IMF and the OECD. “The interprofessional minimum wage is the best tool to reduce inequality in countries,” Díaz emphasized, dismantling the thesis that increasing wages affects the sustainability of productive sectors.
You may be interested in: “I don’t want exploration contracts”: Petro
For her part, Colombian Minister Gloria Inés Ramírez explained that the government of President Gustavo Petro seeks to protect the purchasing power of Colombians. in the next salary adjustment for 2025, ensuring that the increase is not absorbed by inflation. “Thanks to minimum wage agreements we have managed to lift 1.6 million workers out of extreme poverty,” said Ramírez, reaffirming that the salary increase boosts productivity by improving workers’ conditions.
In addition, the ministers proposed the creation of a global charter of labor rights to present to the OAS, with a special focus on the minimum wage as a key point for economic reactivation in the region.
The Conference concluded with a meeting between the Spanish minister and President Gustavo Petro, in which they addressed the Labor Reform in Colombia and the Total Peace project.
You can read: Minhacienda asks Congress to approve a legislative act that modifies the General Participation System