Related videos:
The Cuban government announced a comprehensive labor reform that includes salary increases linked to inflation, employment flexibility, authorization for remote work from abroad, and the possibility of layoffs for economic, technological, or structural reasons with financial compensation for the affected workers.
The measures are part of the package of 176 economic and social transformations presented by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz before the National Assembly of People's Power.
Within the so-called Axis 10: Labor and Wage Transformations, the Executive proposes to implement a comprehensive salary reform in the budgeted sector and to establish the minimum wage annually, as well as the benefits and pensions of Social Security, using the evolution of inflation as a reference.
Salary increases would also be subject to that indicator.
The proposal includes changes to the pension system. Among them is the elimination of the cap on the scale used to calculate contributions to Social Security in the non-state sector.
In addition, individuals who work simultaneously in both the state and private sectors will be able to affiliate and contribute to both social security systems.
Another amendment proposes to recognize up to ten years dedicated to family caregiving as part of the minimum 30 years of service required to access the contributory pension scheme.
Authorities also propose eliminating the administrative approval for the multiple employment of technicians, healthcare professionals, researchers, teachers, professors, and officials, allowing them to engage in more than one job without the need for prior authorizations.
In an effort to halt the loss of skilled labor, the Government is proposing to create incentives to retain specialized workers, particularly young people.
It also proposes to grant a monthly assistance equivalent to a minimum wage to individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who are neither studying nor working and who enroll in preparatory courses.
That training period will be recognized as service time.
The reform also introduces new ways of organizing work.
Employers may agree with unions on reduced work hours and corresponding payments for specific professional activities, incorporating these agreements into collective labor agreements.
Among the new developments is also the authorization for telecommuting from abroad when there is interest from the employer. Additionally, pursuing studies abroad related to the worker's professional profile is now included as a justified reason for temporarily suspending the fulfillment of social service, provided that it has the employer's approval.
The measures also include the possibility for workers within the same entity to engage in additional professional activities, construction maintenance, or other similar tasks within the business and budgeted sector.
One of the most significant changes is the authority granted to entities to terminate employment relationships for economic, technological, or structural reasons.
The decision must be evaluated by the collective management body, agreed upon with the labor union, and analyzed in the assembly of affiliates and workers.
Those who are dismissed under these circumstances will receive a monetary compensation equivalent to between three and six times the basic salary of the position they held, payable as a lump sum.
The proposal also establishes protection equivalent to one month of remuneration for workers hired by self-employed workers when the activity is temporarily suspended or canceled.
At the same time, as part of the intended transformations for the state enterprise system, the Government proposes to eliminate the current salary scale in state-run companies and replace it with a scheme that guarantees a minimum wage adjusted to inflation.
Salaries would be negotiated with workers and unions, depending on the economic and financial capacity of each company.
According to Marrero Cruz, these transformations are part of a broader strategy to restructure the Cuban economy, modernize the labor market, and adapt the social protection system to the new economic conditions of the country.
Filed under: