TEGUCIGALPA, March 11 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – About 736,000 Hondurans continue receiving less than the minimum wage set during the government of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, according to the Labour Ministry.

Labour Deputy Minister Carlos Gomez said 83.6 percent of employees in the business sector are not properly paid.

The Zelaya administration set the minimum wage at 5,500 lempiras (US$291 dollars) for workers in the urban sector and 4,055 (US$214 dollars) for those in rural areas.

However many companies claim problems to pay this amount and started massive layoffs.

Gomez explained that this year so far 5,000 Honduras have been sacked and 585 others presented their resignations.

The secretary of the United Workers Confederation Israel Salnas said that private enterprise has sufficient funds to increase the salaries of their workers.

Negotiations between employers and unionists to work out a salary adjustment were suspended and the government is expected to unilaterally set a new minimum wage. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA

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