The Cuban economist Elías Amor Bravo suggests that one of the first economic measures in a future democratic transition in Cuba should be the establishment of free and independent unions that negotiate directly with private businesses regarding labor conditions, wages, and working hours, with the government merely observing the process.
Amor presented his proposal in an interview with CiberCuba in which he described the model of social dialogue and collective bargaining as the path that Cuba needs to rebuild its labor economy after decades of communist dictatorship. The economist noted that the tripartite negotiation between government, unions, and employers was key to the economic recovery of numerous European countries after periods of institutional crisis.
The salary context surrounding this proposal is alarming. The average salary in Cuba in 2025 was 6,930 pesos per month, a figure that starkly contrasts with the reality of the cost of living on the island, where a couple needs over 45,000 pesos per month just for basic expenses.
In response to this gap, the regime responded with Decree 127/2025, published this month, a measure that reorganizes the state salary structure but, according to critics, does not address the structural causes of the impoverishment of Cuban workers.
The proposal from Amor Bravo comes into direct conflict with the current union model in Cuba, dominated by the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), founded in 1939 and reestablished in 1961 following the Revolution, and has historically operated as a channel for the Communist Party rather than as a defender of workers' interests.
In contrast to this official structure, organizations such as the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba have already called for the disconnection of the labor movement from state control, demanding trade union freedom, economic justice, and democracy as minimum conditions for genuine labor reform.
In the political sphere, the discussion about the economic model of a transitioning Cuba is gaining traction among opposition forces. The Assembly of Democratic Resistance and Pasos de Cambio have recently signed agreements that reflect the disputes and convergences within the Cuban exile community regarding leadership and the roadmap for this process.
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