May 15, 2025
Amid worsening inflation, insecurity, and deepening poverty, Haiti’s Conseil Supérieur des Salaires (Higher Council on Wages, CSS in French) has published its eighth report proposing a substantial increase in minimum wages across various sectors. These recommendations aim to ensure more decent compensation for workers while acknowledging the country’s fragile economic reality.
In line with the October 6, 2009 law mandating compliance with the legal minimum wage, the CSS has introduced new wage scales to take effect starting April 2025. For Segment A (export-oriented industries), the minimum wage would rise from 770 gourdes to 1,000 gourdes—a 29.87% increase.
Segment B (commerce, finance, telecommunications) would see a 46.34% increase from 615 to 900 gourdes, while Segment C (industries, insurance, private health institutions) would go from 540 to 760 gourdes—an increase of 40.74%. For Segment E (agriculture and fishing-related trades), the proposal suggests a rise from 350 to 500 gourdes, or 42.86%.
Segment F (private educational institutions) would see wages increase from 685 to 950 gourdes (38.69%), with an alternative proposal of up to 1,300 gourdes—a 36.84% rise. Segments G and H, covering domestic services and subcontracting (free zones), would both experience a 46.34% increase, from 615 to 900 gourdes.
Despite these increases, the CSS acknowledges that wage adjustments alone are insufficient to ensure a decent standard of living. It stresses the need for accompanying measures such as targeted subsidies, social policies, and strategies to strengthen purchasing power.
The report also advocates for a tripartite social dialogue between the state, employers, and trade unions to ensure the effective and realistic implementation of the new wage policies, in line with Convention 131 of the International Labour Organization.
In conclusion, the CSS calls for a fairer, more sustainable wage policy that restores the dignity of Haitian workers in a country striving for stability and social justice.
