Private surveillance and security companies, Fedeseguridad, warn businessmen and the National Government risk of unemployment and informality if the increase in minimum salary exceeds 13%.
The union that brings together the main companies of surveillance, security and transportation of the country exposes that the minimum wage should increase no more than 13.7% for the next year to avoid negative impacts once morest formal employment in their sector.
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“We agree with the studies by Anif and Fedesarrollo and we have to point out that if that figure is exceeded (13.7%) The effects in a sector that is highly contracted, such as surveillance and private security, can be very complicated.”said the president of Fedeseguridad, Nicolás Botero.
The union leader indicated that, in the event that the adjustment unjustifiably exceeds what the law and jurisprudence have indicated as the factors to be taken into account for the annual increase in the minimum wage, such as annual inflation and productivity, apart from the inflationary pressures that would be created for the national economy, in this sector there would be an increase in informality and unemployment.
Botero recalled that the country comes from a pandemic to which was added a social outbreak, Therefore, up to now many sectors have been recovering from the crisis.
“This is a sector that is very sensitive to the increase in the minimum wage, since we are talking regarding regarding 380,000 direct workers who are in that range. In addition, at the minimum rate for the service, the labor cost represents regarding 80% of the price”added the president of Fedeseguridad.
(Also read: How many Colombians earn less than a minimum wage; data scares the pocket)
Finally, the president of the union of security companies called on the salary negotiation table to take into account the previously mentioned impact and make a decision that benefits all parties.
“We must all win in this process: preserving the purchasing power of wages is essential, as is generating the conditions to maintain formal and decent jobs, especially in a sector that is one of the largest employers in the country,” Botero concluded. .
