Factory workers in Port-au-Prince have taken to the streets for a second consecutive day, protesting against soaring living costs and stagnant wages. Gathering outside the state-owned Metropolitan Industrial Park, demonstrators voiced their frustration with chants highlighting their daily struggle to survive.
Workers currently earn 685 Haitian gourdes—just over five dollars per day—an amount they say is no longer sufficient to meet basic needs. With fuel prices surging, including gasoline now costing more than 850 gourdes per gallon, transportation and essential goods have become increasingly unaffordable.
Employees argue that wages have remained unchanged since 2023, despite a sharp rise in living expenses. Many are calling for a significant increase in the minimum wage to 3,000 gourdes per day, which would bring earnings closer to 22 dollars.
Union representatives have also demanded government action to ease the economic pressure, including reducing fuel prices and providing stronger social support. The recent increase in diesel and gasoline prices—driven in part by global tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran—has further strained household budgets and disrupted supply chains.
For many workers, the situation has become unsustainable, with some reporting that their wages barely cover transportation costs after taxes. Analysts warn that in Haiti—already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere—the combined impact of inflation and energy costs could deepen an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Source: AfricaNews
