Tomorrow is the last day for Panama's minimum wage decision

Tomorrow is the last day to define the minimum wage adjustment. However, the National Minimum Wage Commission, composed of representatives from the labor, employer, and government sectors, has not yet reached a consensus. The Minister of Labor confirmed that a decision on the salary increase must be made tomorrow. She added that employers have expressed a willingness to increase the minimum wage, but without high expectations, considering the country's situation. Meanwhile, the National Council of Organized Workers (Conato) proposes a negotiation framework of 7% for large companies and 6% for small and medium-sized enterprises. The workers, for their part, have not reached a consensus. The minister emphasized that the salary is calculated on an hourly basis. The Minister of Labor and Labor Development, Jackeline Muñoz, indicated that the employer sector will evaluate its positions based on the unified proposal from the labor sector. In this case, there is an increase in a salary that is not in cents. Muñoz recalled that if no agreement is reached, it will be up to the Executive Branch to issue a decree defining the new minimum wage, which will come into effect on January 16, 2026. Conusi proposes an increase of 201% and Conato of 6% and 7%, depending on the size of the company.