In an interview, Óscar de la Vega, founding partner of the De La Vega y Martínez Rojas Firm, spoke with Manuel López San Martín in Mesa Para Todos about the decree to eliminate year-end bonuses and reducing the salaries of high public officials due to the Covid-19 crisis.
“From a constitutional point of view, it isn’t possible to reduce the salaries of State workers, given that they are defined annually in the assigned budgets”, he stated.
He said that labor rights cannot be violated, even by Presidential decree. “Speaking from a Constitutional angle, this is illegal; these are labor rights acquired by the workers”.
He pointed out that the employment sector agreed to pay one minimum wage for the first month, but if the situation extends beyond said month, the company will not be able to pay its employees, which will lead to a decrease in jobs.
“If PYMES [Small and Medium Businesses] are not protected during this health crisis, we will not be able to reactivate the country’s economy”, he stated.
