The cost of food in Venezuela rose again in September and stood at $761.35 for a family of five, according to the most recent calculation by the Documentation and Social Analysis Center (Cendas) of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers. The figure represents an increase of 0.79% compared to August, when covering basic food needs required $755.36.
The report, released this Wednesday, indicates that the Venezuelan monthly minimum wage is insufficient to cover this basket, made up of 60 essential products. According to the organization, the minimum income is barely enough to pay 0.02% of its cost.
“4,860 salaries are needed per month to survive,” Cendas warned in x.
Added to the food expenses is the consumption of bottled drinking water, the cost of which was calculated at $13.49 at the official rate of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV).
Venezuelan unions demand salary increases, restitution of rights and revision of salary tables
The gap between income and the cost of living remains at the center of the demands of Venezuelan unions and guilds, which demand an increase in the minimum wage and improvement of remuneration in the public sector. In recent years, the executive has prioritized the payment of two bonuses for public workers which, although they add up to 240 dollars per month and are deposited in bolivars at the BCV rate, they are not incorporated into the salary nor do they generate labor benefits.
Union demands include the restitution of labor rights and the review of salary tables. On October 13, worker representatives delivered a document to government authorities to demand measures to recover purchasing power and improve income.
Among the proposals presented is calculating the year-end bonus based on the comprehensive monthly income, which includes bonuses equivalent to $240, according to the document to which Efe had access.
The unions also requested the immediate payment of the professional responsibility bonus for technical and labor personnel in the health and education sectors, both active and retired. In addition, they asked to open a process of discussion of salary tables with the participation of union organizations.
