Aruba wage proposals outlined separately by parliamentarian Carlos Bermudez and former government mediator Anselmo Pontilius combine gradual increases with measures intended to help businesses adjust, according to October 21 reports by 24ora.
Bermudez offers an illustrative three-year path
Bermudez presented an example of increasing hourly pay by Afl. 1.33 each year from 2027 through 2029, with the aim of approaching the subsistence-minimum reference used in his calculation.
He described the figures as an illustration for discussion, not an approved wage schedule. He also argued that the transition should protect workers’ purchasing power rather than be offset by price increases.
Pontilius suggests wage rise alongside profit-tax relief
In a separate ENFOKE interview reported by 24ora, Pontilius suggested an Afl. 200 increase in January 2027, followed by further dialogue about later steps. He also proposed reducing profit tax by one to one-and-a-half percentage points in 2027 to help employers absorb wage costs.
The reports do not announce government adoption of either proposal. They are separate contributions to the wage debate, not a joint negotiated package or a new legal entitlement.
Sources: 24ora’s reports on Bermudez’s illustrative proposal and Pontilius’s wage and tax suggestions.
