The tripartite table to agree on the increase in the minimum wage that will govern in Colombia during 2027 could start its discussions ahead of schedule. Sources confirmed to EL TIEMPO that the formal installation of this space It would be a week ahead of the initial schedule.
Although the tentative date for the start of the meetings was Wednesday November 25the National Government is studying the possibility of run dialog opening for the next November 18.
When consulted, the Minister of Labor, Natalia López, confirmed to EL TIEMPO that in the coming days the final date of the meeting will be made official. “We will make it known to all business associations and labor unions so that participate in this such an important topic for next year“he noted.
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One of the main novelties of this negotiation cycle is the inclusion of domestic service workers at the negotiation table, a measure that the Ministry of Labor classified as historic.
“They will be a fundamental part of the Permanent Commission for Coordination of Salary and Labor Policies. They are fundamental for the discussion of the minimum wage and we extended our invitation for them to share their worries and concerns. TOWe will always be here to defend your rights,” he added. the minister
Currently, the minimum wage in the country is located at 1,750,905 weights mensualsafter the government of exPresident Gustavo Petro set for this year an increase of 23 percentcovered by the concept of “living wage” of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and deviating from the usual adjustment metrics.
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Minister of Labor, Natalia López. Photo:Fenalcharcoal
The cards on the table
By legal mandate, deliberations on the minimum wage dshould be based on key indicators such as annual inflation, the rate of productivity and the behavior of gross domestic product (GDP).
Based on these variables, the president of the National Union Council, Natalia Gutiérrez, argued that the increase should be in single digits and “at most 7 por cent, subject to definitive inflation and productivity data”.
Along the same technical lines, the president of Fenalco, Jaime Alberto Cabal, placed the maximum limit a little higherpointing out that adhering to legal parameters seeks to guarantee the preservation of household purchasing power.
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“If the inflation is around 7 percent ylProductivity must be between 1 percent and the 2 percentthe minimum wage It should not exceed 9 percent“, held.
For its part, from the union sector the perspective is distant. The president of the Unitary Central of Workers (CUT), Fabio Arias, He stated that the debate should not start from inflation or productivity, but of the concept of living wage. Yesaccording to Arias, ILO studies identified a historical gap close to 50 points percentages above this suggested minimum level.
Arias explained that, after discounting inflation in 2025 (5.1 percent), the increase decreed for 2026 covered close to 18 real points, so “There are 32 pending then”. With an inflation projection that is around 6.5 percentthe initial claim of the union center for the 2027 adjustment would be at 38,5 percent.
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All these proposals will be debated in the Permanent Concertation Commission of Salary and Labor Policies, which The first legal deadline will be December 15 to reach an agreement.
If a consensus is not reached between businessmen, labor unions and the Governmentationalhe President Abelardo De La Espriella dThe minimum wage must be set by decreejust as it happened last year with the increase for 2027.
