Representatives of the labor federations, teachers’ organizations and the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP), met at the Vicente Cáceres Central Institute in Tegucigalpa, representatives of the main labor federations, teachers’ organizations and the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP), where they decided to hold marches in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula on Nov. 3rd. These marches are building up to a “national civic strike” on Nov. 11th, a day of planned work stoppages.

General Workers Central (CGT) general secretary, Daniel Durón, said the National Congress voted 79-3 on the night of Oct. 27th (25 legislative deputies abstained, and 21 were absent from the session) to approve a law proposed by President Lobo to suspend the annual wage increase for teachers that was legislated in 1993, for one year. The new law also suspends special arrangements for other public employees.

These measures were necessary because the government doesn’t have the “economic capacity” to pay increases, according to Finance Minister William Chong Wong. In Spain, the government has lowered salaries in the public sector because of the world economic crisis, he said, but in Honduras “no one’s salary is being reduced.”

The unions are opposed to temporary work, saying this will reduce benefits for the part-time workers and allow the exploitation of seasonal employees.