Aruba’s coalition partners AVP and FUTURO appear increasingly divided over the proposed increase of the minimum wage to the subsistence level, according to reporting published by English 24ora on October 23.
Prime Minister Mike Eman wants the government to move forward, arguing that all the necessary information is already available. Speaking from the Netherlands on Thursday, Eman expressed frustration in a 24ora interview and strongly rejected claims that more research or figures are needed before a decision can be taken.
Eman rejects further delays
English 24ora quoted Eman as saying it is “completely unacceptable” to say that more figures are still needed, and that continuing to delay the matter with excuses about missing figures and calculations is simply not true. He said all the figures have been presented, and that colleagues Wever and Cicilia have met on the issue.
Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Geoffrey Wever takes a more cautious approach. According to the same reporting, Wever said the government is still carrying out different calculations, and that it is not yet in a position to announce when a decision will be made. No decision date has been given.
English 24ora reported that the disagreement has raised questions about Eman’s political motivations, as the public difference between the coalition partners became clearer.
Cicilia backs a responsible increase
In a separate statement reported on October 23, Minister of Labor Wendrick Cicilia said he supports raising Aruba’s minimum wage to help workers cope with the rising cost of living, but that any increase must be carefully planned so businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, can manage the additional costs.
Cicilia questioned whether a monthly income of just Afl. 2,000 is enough for a parent to support a family when the estimated subsistence level is around Afl. 2,700 per month — a difference of approximately Afl. 700 per month.
The two positions reported on October 23 leave the central question open: Eman is pressing for movement on the basis of figures he says are already complete, Wever is continuing calculations without a decision date, and Cicilia is supporting an increase in principle while stressing that it must be responsible and manageable for employers, especially smaller businesses.
The statements form part of the ongoing coalition debate over raising the minimum wage to the subsistence level, a debate that continued in further statements and analyses reported on October 23 and October 24.
