Cuban Labor Facts
Posted: 10 February 2009 12:45 PM   [ Ignore ]
Total Posts:  992
Joined  2005-11-19

Cuba Transition Project - http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu

There is only one labor federation in Cuba, the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), organized and controlled by the Cuban government.

All workers must be members of the CTC and pay dues.

“Elections” are held periodically. Only candidates approved by the Cuban Communist Party are allowed to run for local or national leadership positions.

There is no collective or individual bargaining in Cuba.

Workers can not change jobs without government permission.

Most businesses/agricultural and industrial enterprises are owned by the government—most Cubans work for the State.

All salaries and benefits are determined by the State.

Workers are hired, disciplined, and fired by the government.

Foreign companies doing business in Cuba must apply to the government for workers. They can not hire or fire workers on their own without government approval.

Foreign companies pay the Cuban government in foreign currencies (e.g. euros, Canadian dollars) for their workers. The government pays the workers in Cuban pesos which are worth 1/20 of a U.S. dollar, pocketing 90% of every dollar it receives.

All Cuban workers in the tourist industry or any industry that comes into contact with foreigners are carefully screened and selected by the government. Lighter skin workers and those loyal to the revolution are picked for hotel, resorts, and other tourist destinations.

The Cuban government hires out physicians, artists, musicians, bartenders, etc. to foreign countries and foreign companies abroad. Cubans usually reside for six months in

Foreign countries and are paid in hard currency. Yet 40% of their salaries are deducted by their employers and sent to the Castro regime.

All labor arbitration must take place in the corrupt and arbitrary government offices where little protection is given to the worker. There is no independent judicial system in the island and all judges are appointed by and work for the government.


Cuba consulting services

Posted: 08 February 2010 02:57 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]
10 to 29 posts
Total Posts:  14
Joined  2010-02-08

The Cuba Transition Project seems to be catering to the Miami Cuban-American view - it is not always an unbiassed source !

Posted: 26 February 2010 07:13 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]
10 to 29 posts
Total Posts:  13
Joined  2010-02-26

I think is only curious that in this times of crises and unemployment, with the world falling in a life philosophy that as shown to be wrong,  there are still those who, not only live their lives building a lie, go on inventing facts of other people’s lives…
Yes, there is a big difference between Cuban pay check and the rest of the world. I live in Europe and our minimum wage is half the American. Do we live worst? Not really. In percentage in fact comparing to de differences between states within the USA. My small capitalist country is way more sophisticated and educated that the USA. Is Cuba a poor country? Of course and we all know the reason. It was way poorer before the revolution, except for the lucky few who lived the eternal party. The same in my country before our revolution. We have to realize that money is like a short sheet in a couples’ bed. If the husband pulls it more around the shoulder the wife’s back will be uncovered. The only way for them to be both covered is if they take in consideration one another and arrange for it to happen. This is what happens in Cuba. Because of the USA’s embargo.
In all the Cuban tourists sites I’ve been in, most of the employees were black or mixed. The first tourist guide I’ve met had least good to say about the system than a “Cuban-American”. I don’t see the loyalty… Most of the people connected to the tourism sector have false expectations about what is life outside of Cuba. They seem to think that life in other countries is like paradise. People would live in palaces filed of luxury. They seem to think that the governments help the people and work for the people. And that when you fall they have your back. What they don’t know is that most of the houses in US are also made of wood. Most of the apartment buildings are in need of restoration and that although some of the people life in luxury, the rest lives in dire straits.
We have to realize that the way the Cuban system is mounted, although there is no room to become a millionaire, with your work, you can live a very comfortable and fulfilling life. Foreign companies can do business in Cuba, but is a partnership with the government, in witch every time your company grows and produces more income they will make you grow and employ more workers, so in that way your company will help the country to grow and help more and more…
The four hundred and something pesos you might receive for month may sound short, but when you don’t pay for your home, healthcare is free, and you don’t have to pay for your children for the moment they enter kinder garden to their PHD (not the same, I know but similar…), and your home expenses including phone bill are around twenty pesos… probably the remaining is not so short anymore…
I’ve lived in some countries other than mine; I’ve met Cubans here and around the world. Some are out to make money just to invest back home like most of us who emigrate, and some just want a different thing. For the liars like we say in my country: “The lie walks with a short leg…” (We’ll catch up…)
To end:  it’s a shame that a country as big as the US, and I say this in many ways, arranges to make the effort to work with the goal to change the way of life of those who want it different. And I do say WANT. Cuba although has only one party as an IDEA (it is not making choices not is ruling the country), has a democratic parliament, with deputies elected regionally by the people to carry in a nationally way the local will. Power from the people for the people. There is long gone the era of the Castro’s because there is no need for it anymore. Raul is now the ELECTED president of the National Council. The next one will probably be the President of the parliament Mr. Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada. http://www.asanac.gov.cu/  (You can visit this link if there is any will in your bones to understand and deal wit the truth.) And this parliament makes the laws and rules the country.
Cuba is singular in many ways. And no, it’s not for everyone to like it. But let’s be democratic about it, and live and let live.