The Mitrab fails to comply with the Minimum Wage Law by not convening negotiations: the regime is heading towards an adjustment by "decree"
The Ministry of Labor fails to comply with Law 625 by not convening the 2026 Minimum Wage Commission. The adjustment should take effect from March 1, given a basic basket of 20,821 córdobas.
TL;DR
- The Ministry of Labor (Mitrab) has not convened the National Minimum Wage Commission for 2026, violating Law 625.
- The legal deadline for minimum wage adjustment is March 1, and negotiations typically begin in early January.
- The absence of timely negotiations suggests a potential unilateral adjustment imposed by the regime, bypassing the legal triparte requirement.
- The basic consumption basket in Nicaragua closed 2025 at C$20,821, an increase from the previous year.
- The current average minimum wage (C$8,930) covers only 42% of basic needs.
- If no new wage table is established by March 1, the regime may enforce an extension or a decree-based adjustment, increasing precariousness for families.