The Chamber of Deputies of Mexico approved unanimously a constitutional reform to decouple minimum wage rates, fees, fines and other variables which are determined by the minimum wage.
The amendment received 417 votes in favor and sent to the state legislatures for analysis.
The National Minimum Wage Commission in Mexico has been reluctant with aggressive minimum wage hikes due to the fear of legal fines becoming too expensive to pay for the country’s poor. This vote seeks to separate the costs of fines from the minimum wage. Many fines in Mexico are set, as an example, 10X the minimum wage. This change would allow for legal fines not to increase with the minimum wage.
The National Minimum Wage Commission is expected to meet in December to discuss minimum wages in 2016, some politicians are seeking an increase to $86 pesos per day, or $5.20 dollars per day at today’s current exchange rate.
“The deputies and senators of the current legislature are about to offer a major and historic service to Mexican society by stripped of their chains holding down the minimum wage,” said president of the lower house, Jesus Zambrano.
October 1, 2015 a national minimum wage was implemented at $70.10 pesos per day, or $4.20 dollars at today’s exchange rate.
