For eight hours of daily work, Haitian workers will now receive 225 gourdes (5 dollars) instead of 200. The wage was decided upon by the government, whereas local unions demanded a 500% increase.

A Codevi factory in April 2007 - Photo: Claude Richard Accidat/AFP

Indeed, unions pushed for $11.11 per day, a demand supported by the association Solidarity, affiliated with the American Center for International Labor. That organization has published a study showing that a textile worker in Port-au-Prince must earn 23.12 dollars a day in order to support a family of four.

Demands for an increase in the minimum wage were punctuated by several strikes and blockades of Haitian factories. If the increase in wages may cause a weakening of demands, Yves Savain isn’t worried. The executive director of the commission overseeing the U.S. HOPE legislation, which allows Haiti to enjoy preferential tariffs for exports, has said in the local press that he believes the local industry is capable of continuing to grow despite the increase.

The Haitian textile/garment sector includes twenty companies that employ 31,000 people. In total, it generates a turnover of 800 million dollars, 90% of which comes from exports. The country suffers from unemployment at around 40%.