2023-10-19 22:07:14
Unchanged for 7 years, the guaranteed interprofessional minimum wage was increased on January 1, 2023 in Ivory Coast, going from 60,000 CFA francs (91.34 euros) to 75,000 francs (114.17 euros) per month. Despite this 25% increase, the minimum wage is still considered far too low by unions and workers, particularly given the general rise in prices.
From our correspondent in Abidjan,
A 42-year-old man, dressed in a yellow uniform, accompanies vehicles that want to park in front of an insurance company with a few hand gestures. If this security guard does not want to reveal his name so as not to get into trouble, he agrees to take his pay slip out of his pocket. “ I hit exactly 92 000 francs. »
Net remuneration which also includes the compulsory transport bonus. His employer took three months to respect the minimum wage and is still struggling to comply with the law, the transport bonus being set in theory at a minimum threshold of 30,000 francs per month. According to this father, his salary no longer allows him to cope with rising prices. “ Because there is no house for less than 40,000 francs. In reality, it has been revalued, but life is so expensive. The whole market is increasing, so it’s very complicated. »
“Salary-wise, I can’t get by”
To cover his fixed costs, he owes his salvation to the generosity of the Abidjanis who leave a few coins or a note when returning to their car – an additional 30,000 to 40,000 francs per month, or almost half of his salary. “ Being at work, I often manage to have 500 or 1,000 francs. With that, I try to save a little until the end of the month for the “meals” of the house. Otherwise, with 92,000 francs, we can’t do anything », adds the father.
So when exceptional burdens arise during life, the difficulties are numerous. For this 2023 school year, he has not yet sent his 10-year-old daughter to school. “ I’m trying to get her to go to school, she’s starting CM2 this year. So that she can pass her 6th grade entrance exam this year, I will make every effort, even if salary-wise, I can’t cope. “, he blurted.
An insufficient minimum wage
Despite a minimum wage considered insufficient for a decent living, some companies continue to fail to respect this legal minimum. The unions are fighting once morest the phenomenon, but also once morest the repression of those who denounce it. “ If the administration learns that you want to organize as a workers’ organization, they will find an argument, any argument, to get rid of you. », Explains Pierre Koulaté, member of the CGT-CI Bureau.
The union would like the minimum wage to be increased and indexed to inflation. A minimum wage which, let us remember, concerns a limited number of workers. According to a survey conducted in 2016, more than 93% of the active population works in the informal sector where labor laws rarely apply.
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