WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao’s minimum hourly wage is expected to rise by 44 cents in the coming year, bringing the rate to 11.72 guilders per hour. Interim Minister of Social Development, Labor, and Welfare (SOAW), Javier Silvania (MFK), announced the proposal via his Facebook page.
The proposal will be discussed in the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, with further details and decisions anticipated afterward.
It remains unclear whether the Social and Economic Council (SER) or other advisory bodies have provided input on the proposal or if such input was sought. This increase follows last year’s adjustment on January 1, when the minimum wage rose by 58 cents per hour from 10.70 to 11.28 guilders. This year’s proposed increase appears to continue the trend of aligning wages with economic conditions.
Minister Silvania credited the political party Korsou Esun Mihó (KEM), led by incarcerated leader Michelangelo Martines, for influencing the proposed wage hike. The Ministry of SOAW stated that the Pisas administration would soon release a press statement with more details on the raise and its anticipated effects.
The minimum wage applies to all workers in Curaçao, including domestic staff. The rate varies by age: employees aged 21 and older receive 100% of the minimum wage, while those aged 19 receive 85%, 18-year-olds receive 75%, and workers aged 16 and 17 are entitled to 65% of the established rate.
The upcoming discussions in the Council of Ministers and subsequent announcements will shed more light on how this adjustment will impact the island’s workforce and economy.