This year’s minimum wage discussions went down to the wire and it needed the extra Leap Year day this February to get the result.
However, a consensus was reached today (29th February 2024) by the sectors that made up the National Minimum Wage Commission and a mandatory government adjustment was avoided.
After seven sessions, it was announced that minimum wage workers will enjoy a 10.1% increase in their salary as of tomorrow, 1st of March 2024 until February 28th 2025.
The Minister of Labor, Alba Luz Torres Briones recognized the work of the commission and the “committed, high quality dialogue where understanding, responsibility and respect prevailed” which was always the objective of the sessions held by the tripartite commission.
The government estimates that this increase will affect “more than 258 thousand workers from all sectors”.
The average minimum wage (of all ten categories) is 8,561 Córdoba’s per month or US $233.75 (using the official Central Bank of Nicaragua exchange rate of 36.6243).
Note:
The Zona Franca (Tax Free Zones) sector is the only exception to this increase because they have their own minimum wage contract.
Quick Facts from the Labor Code
Working Week
Standard Work Week – For day shift workers, the monthly minimum wage is based on the “Standard Work Week” of 8 hours a day from Monday to Saturday for a total of 48 hours is used. These hours are worked between 6am and 8pm.
Night workers (those working 7 hours per day anytime between 8pm and 6am the next day) are limited to 42 hours per week.
Mixed Hours means mixed days and night hours for a maximum of 7.5 hours per day or 45 hours weekly.
Overtime
The number of overtime hours may not exceed three hours per day or nine hours per week.
Workers are not obliged to carry out extraordinary work except as provided in the following from Article. 59 dealing with social interest or force majeure:
- a) To prevent or eliminate without delay the consequences of catastrophes or accidents that may harm production or services.
- b) To carry out urgent repair work on machinery, equipment or buildings, when their poor condition endangers the health or life of workers or the population;
- c) To carry out urgent work aimed at restoring public services or repairing the consequences of disasters that affect said services; and
- d) To carry out seasonal or intense seasonal work, when it is impossible to increase the number of workers for technical or climatological reasons or due to a shortage of labor force.
