Paraguay Ministry of Labor to Mediate Press Union Salary Dispute

Paraguay's Ministry of Labor has convened a crucial tripartite meeting to address a labor dispute involving journalists and major newspaper publishers. Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security Mónica Recalde confirmed that the session, scheduled for Wednesday, will bring together state representatives, leaders from the Paraguayan Journalists' Union (SPP), and executives from Editorial Azeta (ABC Color), Editorial El País (Última Hora), and Editorial y Gráfica Intersudamericana (Diario La Nación).

The core of the dispute centers on a claim for a 5% salary adjustment, as stipulated by a 1997 collective bargaining agreement. The SPP, through its general secretary Santiago Ortiz, formally requested the mediation to ensure compliance with the agreement, which mandates salary adjustments every nine months based on the variation of the consumer price index (IPC). Minister Recalde informed the Senate's executive board about the ministry's actions, responding to inquiries from Senator Dionisio Amarilla.

Recalde reiterated the ministry's readiness to conduct inspections or initiate proceedings against companies failing to implement the minimum wage readjustment. The state will be represented in the negotiation by the Vice Minister of Labor, César Segovia. The primary objective of the meeting is to establish a platform for discussing the interpretation and application of Article 29 of the press workers' collective bargaining agreement.

"The collective agreement is from 1997; it has not been updated or renegotiated," Recalde stated, emphasizing the need for clarity on whether the 5% adjustment applies to all workers covered by the agreement. The outcome of this negotiation is highly anticipated, as it could set a precedent for labor relations within Paraguay's media sector and ensure fair compensation for journalists.

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The collective agreement is from 1997; it has not been updated or renegotiated. They have been convened all the media involved under the compliance of the collective bargaining agreement. We will await the results of that negotiation because what is requested is a 5% adjustment as established in the presidential decree for the current legal minimum wage. The interpretation of whether this affects all workers or not, that is a discussion that will take place and will be coordinated by the deputy minister.