Cuba, 20$ a month for workers?

[Rafiq]

Why do workers in cuba get paid in such low wages?

20$ a month probably isn't fucking enough for two meals everyday, and clothing on top of that.

I mean, even Jamaica, the workers get paid more than that.

[caramelpence]

(1) Important goods like foodstuffs are subsidized; (2) Important services like healthcare and education (university and pre-university) are free whereas they have to be paid for elsewhere; (3) That statistic, though often-quoted, does not take account of the fact that many workers are also engaged in various kinds of "sideline" activity in addition to their official work, such as providing petty services to tourists, selling minor goods outside of state supervision, and so on. For some, remittances from outside Cuba are also important.

[lines]

How much does rent cost in Cuba?

[The Red Next Door]

Why do workers in cuba get paid in such low wages?

20$ a month probably isn't fucking enough for two meals everyday, and clothing on top of that.

I mean, even Jamaica, the workers get paid more than that.

that better than 10.50 a month, but yeah cuba shit is free, so no need for high wages.

[Per Levy]

not everything in cuba is for free, actually most isnt. but the prices for food, healthcare, clothing and so on are very very low(as far as i know), so people probally get along with low pay like that.

[PhoenixAsh]

(1) Important goods like foodstuffs are subsidized; (2) Important services like healthcare and education (university and pre-university) are free whereas they have to be paid for elsewhere;


These are the only reasonable arguments



(3) That statistic, though often-quoted, does not take account of the fact that many workers are also engaged in various kinds of "sideline" activity in addition to their official work, such as providing petty services to tourists, selling minor goods outside of state supervision, and so on. For some, remittances from outside Cuba are also important.This however is NOT a good enough (edit: changed "reasonable" to "good enough") argument. People should not be dependent on outside help or sideline activities in a socialist state...and this should also not be taken into consideration as genuine income. THe fact that they need to means something is lacking.



What is more reasonable as an argument is saying and pointing out is that Cuba is currently facing several stringent trade embargo's which hamper the economy and the development towards a better system....limiting the income and amount of money in circulation.



Now...this is assuming that there should even be a monetary system. Which I do not think there should. But then again...I do not think Cuba is truely socialist.

[Impulse97]

I think $20 is a tad low, but then again that may be 20 Dollars not 20 Pesos. 20 bucks may equate to a more reasonable amount in Pesos

[el_chavista]

Why do workers in cuba get paid in such low wages?

20$ a month probably isn't fucking enough for two meals everyday, and clothing on top of that.

I mean, even Jamaica, the workers get paid more than that.

Country Name, Value(Gross income)
Islas Caimán43,800
Bahamas29,600
Trinidad y Tobago21,500
Puerto Rico18,700
San Cristóbal y Nieves18,600
Barbados18,500
Antigua y Barbuda18,100
Granada12,300
Santa Lucía10,900
Costa Rica10,800
Panamá9,900
Dominica9,600
San Vicente y las Granadinas9,400
Cuba8,500
Belice8,400
Jamaica7,500
República Dominicana7,400
El Salvador6,000
Guatemala5,000
Honduras4,200
Nicaragua2,800
Haití1,300

[caramelpence]

This however is NOT a reasonable argument

I'm not pro-Cuba, I don't believe Cuba is socialist. But the OP asked why wages in Cuba are so low compared to other countries. I explained why - or rather, I explained why wages being low does not entail absolute poverty for most of Cuban society. So before you start accusing people of making arguments that are NOT reasonable, acting in your role as the eternal arbiter of reasonableness, you should read their posts, or just shut up.

[Demogorgon]

That is the figure in nominal terms, you have to remember that the Cuban currency isn't really comparable to the Dollar (particularly as there is an unusual dual currency system). In terms of purchasing parity power (that is the amount that can be bought with income) the figure is much higher. Around $350 a month if memory serves.

[RadioRaheem84]

A lot of goods in Cuban society are subsidized making things like ice cream be less than five cents.

That still doesn't make things better for the average Cuban but it shows that so far the State has kept their citizens from sinking into abject poverty like their Haitian neighbors.

The whole point that people miss is that Cuba is mostly economically isolated and has to run a rickety economy on it's own. And it shows the alternative a small nation can accomplish to feed, clothe, and take care of their citizens on such few resources.

Contrast this with a nation like Jamaica which has it's markets fully open to international capitalism and yet the people make less money there and have NO social security in life.

It is considered a democracy and has full political and economic support from the international elites. Yet, it's people are poor.

How is it then that a nation with fewer access to markets than Jamaica and even less resources can still manage to give their people better living standards?

[PhoenixAsh]

I'm not pro-Cuba, I don't believe Cuba is socialist. But the OP asked why wages in Cuba are so low compared to other countries. I explained why - or rather, I explained why wages being low does not entail absolute poverty for most of Cuban society. So before you start accusing people of making arguments that are NOT reasonable, acting in your role as the eternal arbiter of reasonableness, you should read their posts, or just shut up.

while I appreciate your defensivenes...I truely do...you mistook that for a personal jab....which it was not. I'll come back to that later.

You also did not include that add on about absolute poverty in your original post. This information was not included. So had you done that it would have been an entirely different matter.




Why do workers in cuba get paid in such low wages?


(1) Important goods like foodstuffs are subsidized; (2) Important services like healthcare and education (university and pre-university) are free whereas they have to be paid for elsewhere; (3) That statistic, though often-quoted, does not take account of the fact that many workers are also engaged in various kinds of "sideline" activity in addition to their official work, such as providing petty services to tourists, selling minor goods outside of state supervision, and so on. For some, remittances from outside Cuba are also important.



Now...admittedly...on hindsight...reasonable was I word I used in the light of that question and your answers. Perhaps I should have used a different word...or perhaps I should have said: a reasonable enough explanation... or perhaps should have said "good ennough to answer the question"

Unfortunately the subtilities of the way some words can be assessed in a language which is not my own...sometimes is not really that clear to me. Nor do I akways know which words to use when I type fast.

So my sincere apologies if my inadequacy hurt your feelings.

I will correct this oversight:


Now...in my original assesment of your post....argument no3 was not a good answer to the OPs question. For the following reason.

Wages (a national thing) are low because people work outside their normal jobs in other jobs catering to tourists or get send money from abroad.

Part one is another wage. Which statistically would either be official and therefore included in the wage avarage....or it would be unofficial. In which case its not income...and should not have any bearing on the wage in the normal job. See...if I have a fulltime job...and decide to do some off the books work...both jobs should get payed normally....and one should not have a bearing on the other. Though...it may influence taxes....in which case one would have to ask themselves why are the taxes so high the net monthly wage is so low.

Part two is outside aid. People send money from abroad to their families. This is not income...and again has no bearing on the worth of the labour involved in the job....and should again have no influence on the wage itself.


It may be a reason why people do not live in abject poverty...which I am not sure is true...but its not the main reason. But whatever....in any case it did not answer the OPs question of why wages are low. Now I am pretty sure that you know that....so I was just being a prick about showing you that I did read your post carefully but simply did not have enough information as to what you did not say but actually ment.

Thank you for rubbing my nose in the fact that I am the only person here who is not a mind reader...just what I needed today

[Sixiang]

A lot of goods in Cuban society are subsidized making things like ice cream be less than five cents.


Yes. And on the subject, I found this page interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_Cuba

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

It's enough for all the basics, when you contend that there is a huge subsidy, and when you consider that a small meal of steak, rice and salad can be purchased for around $0.50 or less, and that many things like milk, sugar, jam, cheese, bread, potatoes, meat, butter, soap are heavily subsidised.

The biggest cost for Cubans, I found, was rent, but that is mainly because property relations are still quite bourgeois - they are more nationalised/semi-nationalised rather than worker-managed.

Unfortunately, it seems the subsidy and property safety net could become a thing of the past. The recent reforms spell massive trouble for the have-nots in Cuba.:mellow:

[bezdomni]

20$ a month probably isn't fucking enough for two meals everyday, and clothing on top of that.

Evidently it is enough to make a living in Cuba.


I mean, even Jamaica, the workers get paid more than that.

They also have to spend more to buy things and pay rent.