The Home Journal

New Wage Proposal

The Municipal Council is now giving consideration to an ordinance to prescribe minimum wage and maximum hour standards, patterned after wage-hour legislation in force and effect throughout the United States and territories. A public hearing on the measure was held last week, and legislators are now in Puerto Rico familiarizing themselves with the administration of an identical wage-hour law, and other related matters.

It is expected that the legislature will be ready to act on this proposal within the next few weeks.

The ordinance creates a Minimum Wage Board composed of five persons: two representing labor, two business and one representing the government. The Board is empowered to study wages, working hours and labor conditions which prevail in the different occupations, businesses and industries, and make investigations regarding the living conditions of workers, as well as the costs and financial conditions of the enterprises covered under the act. The Board would fix wages, hours of work and labor conditions by issuing mandatory decrees for each industry or occupation.

This is the type of legislation which Governor de Castro has been urging for several years, and which has also been endorsed by business, as well as impartial observers.

They objected to fixing wages in the manner provided by existing law, arguing that it is too arbitrary and works an injustice on some businesses.

The new proposal should work no injustice on labor either since a minimum wage below which the Board cannot go regardless of the financial condition of any industry, is stipulated in the law. It may mean increases in wages to workers in those industries which can afford to pay more. Labor conditions, not within the province of existing law, could also be determined by the Minimum Wage Board.

Because of the overwhelming demand for this type of legislation made by business last year prior to the Gov.'s veto of a wage increase bill, it is surprising
We are sorry to hear that the Chamber of Commerce is now opposed to it. Certainly, the criticisms of the present law made by the Chamber itself should provide enough justification for the bill's enactment.