Government announces wage increase between 20 % and 49 % for the tourism sector

Santo Domingo. – The Dominican Government, through the Ministry of Labor, announced that a historic agreement was reached in the National Wages Committee, for the increase of the minimum wage of the workers who render services in hotels, restaurants and other gastronomic establishments, between 20% and 49%.

The Minister of Labor, Luis Miguel De Camps García, said that with this increase, progress is being made towards the simplification of the structure and governance of minimum wages, as proposed by President Abinader in the proposal for a wage pact that he presented during his speech on May 1.

“With this there are already 22 minimum wages increased in this government administration above the accumulated inflation.”

On his side, the president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (ASONAHORES), David Llibre, said that this salary increase is an important amount, since the businessmen of the sector are not oblivious to the issue of inflation which, in spite of the growth of tourism, has also affected the collaborators and this substantially improves their situation.

“This agreement for salary increase in the sector demonstrates all that we can achieve through consensus and dialogue between the parties,” he added.

On his side, Manolo Ramírez, president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Workers Federation, (FENATRAHOREST), stressed that a tourism worker with a salary improvement can smile and provide better service to guests.

Ramírez added that as a result of this substantial increase in less than two years, more than 40% has been approved to the salaries of the sector.

“We thank the businessmen, the National Wages Committee and the Minister of Labor for their efforts so that this improvement has been achieved for workers in the sector,” he added.

According to what was announced during a press conference in the Salón de la Concertación of the Ministry of Labor, the workers of large companies will have a 15% increase as of next June 1, that is, from 14,000 pesos of current salary to 16,100 pesos, and 5% in February 2024, which will bring it to 16,800 pesos.

In the case of medium-sized companies, they will have a minimum wage increase of 28.5 % in the month of June 2023, from 10,650 pesos of current salary to 13,685 pesos, and 4.47 % in February 2024, which will amount to 14,161 pesos.

Meanwhile, small companies will have the historical salary increase of 44.05 % in June 2023, to go from 9,500 pesos to 13,685 pesos, and 5.01 % in February 2024, which will take it to 14,161 pesos.