After a long debate on its application given the current economic context, the second increase in the minimum wage (minimum guaranteed interprofessional wage) will be partially maintained, reports Morocco today in its July 29 edition.
Chakib Alj, president of the CGEM, made a direct appeal in this regard to companies not affected by the crisis to take action first. “I encourage companies in sectors not affected by the crisis to apply the second increase in the minimum wage. Companies operating in sectors currently in difficulty are, for their part, called upon to promote the maintenance of employment, in particular by postponing the increase in the minimum wage, ”says Mr. Alj. This call comes after two sessions of social dialogue between the Confederation and its social partners. Discussions have so far not led to anything concrete. “To date and after two sessions of social dialogue, no official response has been communicated, when companies must establish the payroll of their staff,” he says.
The President of the Confederation also recalled the current context in which the Moroccan economy is bathing following the health crisis. An economic situation marked by a drastic drop in productivity, jeopardizing employability. “In this context marked by the pandemic and driven by the sole objective of preserving employment, the CGEM, in a concerted and responsible approach, appealed to the head of government to postpone – for one year – the second increase in SMIG, especially since the decree-law establishing the state of emergency suspended the social, fiscal and legal deadlines ”. And to continue: “We know very well that in sectors in difficulty, the increase in the minimum wage will have a strong impact on employment and will make the informal sector more attractive. However, our common responsibility is to protect our employees by maintaining their jobs and to achieve the desired recovery for our economy ”.
As a reminder, the CGEM signed, on April 25, 2019, a social agreement with the government and social partners. The objective is to set up a working environment offering more social benefits to employees and to increase the purchasing power of those paid at the minimum wage. This tripartite agreement provides in particular for an increase in the minimum wage in two stages, including one effective since July 1, 2019, as well as an upward revision of family allowances, which entered into force on the same date.
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