How much can a bricklayer earn working in Haiti?

Answer 1

Haiti has slightly raised its minimum wage for the estimated 29,000 workers who sew T-shirts and other clothing in the country's apparel factories. President Michel Martelly, his prime minister and a cabinet member who oversees labor conditions signed the 12.5 percent increase into law. It took effect on Thursday. The law, the full details of which were made available on Monday, says the workers will now earn about $5.11 for an eight-hour workday. It falls far short of the equivalent of $11.36 per workday that garment workers have demanded. The clothing factories have been in Haiti for decades. Initially, the plants made baseballs, but they now turn out T-shirts for major North American retailers. About two-thirds of the country's 10 million people lack formal employment, and the garment industry is among the few formal sources of income. Parliament last approved a raise in the minimum wage in 2009. That increased over three years the daily rate from about $1.50 to around $4.50.