On or Off Cuba Ping.
Posted on 06/23/2005 7:49:46 PM PDT by Constitutionalist_by_birth
HAVANA (AP) - Cuba increased the salaries of its teachers, doctors and nurses Thursday, highlighting the importance the nation's communist government puts on its health and education sectors.
Workers in these fields will receive an average of 40 to 50 additional Cuban pesos a month, or the equivalent of about US$2. The increase was to take affect July 1.
"It's very modest, and can be improved upon," President Fidel Castro said in a live televised address to announce the news.
The average Cuban worker earns 300 pesos a month, or the equivalent of about US$12. Salary figures can be misleading, however, where most citizens pay no rent, education and health care are free, and the government offers heavily subsidized basic services such as utilities and transportation.
Many of those to receive the new salaries also benefited from an earlier increase to the island's minimum wage, under which the salaries of nearly 1.7 million low-wage workers were doubled May 1.
The positive economic news has come on the heels of new optimism based on oil prospects off Cuba's northern coast and strengthened economic ties with China and Venezuela.
Government ministers said they hoped the latest increase would help energize workers by recognizing their hard work.
Education and health care have been priorities of the government ever since the Cuban revolution thrust Castro into power more than four decades ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.tbo.com ...
As long as you have health-care, who cars if you only make 12 bucks a month!
AP amazes me more and more each day.
What a piece of work.
The article does drip with perky smiles doesn't it? "Big Brother has increased the chocolate ration to 20 grams per week."
Well, since till now they were paid a sh*t, henceforth they'll be paid twice as much - two sh*ts...
I can't think of a better way of knocking China and Venezuela down to size than making Cuba a charge of the Chinese and Venezuelan taxpayers.
A true workers paradise.
This came few months after Chuckie from Venezuela was there.
Chuckie Light in mexico has similar wage increase.
Both location Venezuela and Mexico have oil. The 12/mo or whatever is through oil industry.
This way they show how they care so much and are not as evil as pesky oil co's...
So that game will go on...
What the AP fails to point out:
1. They may not pay rent, but they also live in sh*tholes.
2. Education may be free, but all it consists of is Marxist propaganda.
3. Health care may be free, but it's not readily available.
4. The commies may "subsidize" utilities, but the power is usually not on.
5. Walking has ALWAYS been free transportation.
Chocolate rations are up!
Don't spend your $2 all in one place, amigos!
I know of another island paradise where the same things are provided for free. It's called "Rikers Island"...
On or Off Cuba Ping.
Now why would they point any of that out? That would defeat the whole purpose. Free health care is really all any person needs.
C
"Two Pesos. Maybe I'll go to the movies... by MYSELF."
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