Following the fourth session of the National Minimum Wage Council (Conasam) held on Wednesday, wage adjustment negotiations remain at an impasse. Worker representatives reiterated their demand for a 20% increase, equivalent to G$647,000, while the business sector maintains its stance of awaiting official inflation data before presenting any numerical counterproposal.
Bernardo Rojas, representative of the Central Obrera, stated that workers remain firm in their proposal, arguing that the adjustment must reflect the real cost of living rather than merely existing legal mechanisms. According to him, while workers put specific figures on the table, employers limit themselves to citing the law without debating concrete values. Rojas emphasized that street-level needs and the cost of living must carry weight in the decision, criticizing the lack of a serious response from employers.
Faced with the absence of a formal counterproposal, unions announced the temporary suspension of direct negotiations with the business sector. The intention is to seek dialogue directly with the government and request an urgent meeting with the President of the Republic to break the deadlock. Rojas warned that if no agreement is reached, the category will resort to appropriate legal measures at the opportune time.
On the employers' side, Enrique Vidal explained that the meeting focused on internal matters regarding Conasam's operations, including drafting regulations for the body. Regarding the wage adjustment, Vidal justified the absence of figures by stating that the sector is awaiting the release of the Central Bank of Paraguay's (BCP) May inflation report, scheduled for publication next Monday. Only after this release, he said, will it be possible to discuss percentages.
Vidal confirmed that the business sector does not support the workers' 20% request and argued that any adjustment must be strictly based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculated by the central bank. He stressed confidence in the BCP's official data and noted that while changes to the law could be studied, compliance with current legislation is mandatory.
Labor Vice Minister César Segovia assessed that the discussions took place in a framework of mutual respect. He expressed hope for a minimally consensus-based position before June 15, the deadline for submitting the adjustment proposal to the Presidency of the Republic.