Garment workers have taken to the streets of the Haitian capital for the second time in two weeks to demand a minimum wage increase.
The workers at factories making T-shirts, pants and other apparel were also demonstrating yesterday against the firing of roughly 40 union members at a Port-au-Prince industrial park.
Reginald Lanfontant is a union coordinator and one of the fired workers. He asserts the dismissals are “abusive” and demonstrations will continue.
According to CMC News, they are demanding 800 Haitian gourdes per eight-hour work day. Based on current exchange rates, that’s roughly US$12.47 per day. They now earn 300 gourdes, or US$4.67.
Monday’s protest had nearly 500 participants, a far smaller turnout than a May 19 rally that attracted thousands.
