Haiti’s labor movement marked International Workers’ Day on May 1, 2019 with demonstrations across the country that connected the demands of the protest movement to the specific economic grievances of workers — low wages, lack of job security, poor working conditions, and the devastating impact of inflation on purchasing power. In Port-au-Prince, a march that began at the Place Sainte-Anne drew thousands of workers, union members, and labor advocates.
Garment workers, who formed one of Haiti’s largest organized labor constituencies, were among the most vocal participants. Union representatives called for minimum wage increases that had been promised but not fully delivered, citing data showing that even at the official minimum wage, garment workers could not afford a basic nutritional basket for their families. The gap between wages and the cost of living had widened sharply in 2019 as inflation eroded real incomes.
More broadly, labor leaders connected the May Day demands to the PetroCaribe protest movement, arguing that the corruption revealed by the audit reports represented a direct theft from workers and ordinary citizens. The billions allegedly diverted from development programs were funds that should have built schools, hospitals, and infrastructure that would have improved the lives of working Haitians.
The government acknowledged the workers’ concerns but offered no immediate concessions. The minimum wage debate, a perennial flashpoint in Haitian labor relations, would continue through the year against the backdrop of an economic situation that made meeting workers’ legitimate demands ever more financially difficult for the business sector.