Guatemala
3.3 Guatemala Manual Labour
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Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare https://www.mintrabajo.gob.gt/  is the Government institution responsible to promote the efficient usage of policies related to labour legislation, as well as to dictate minimum wages.   Usually minimum wages will be updated every year and in some occasions every other year.  

The minimum wages categories are: 

  1. Actividades Agrícolas (Agricultural Activities) 
  1. Actividades No Agrícolas (Non Agricultural Activities) 
  1. Actividades de Exportadora y de Maquila (Export and  There are some institutions with organized unions, which can stop the logistics system flows.   Some of the most active unions are: transport, school teachers, public health employees, Port Santo Tomas and Port Quetzal stevedoring. 

There is availability of manual labour in the country.   In some areas of the country manual labour can be more difficult to find due to coffee, sugar can and perishables farms demand.  The busiest times of the year are from October-November until April-May 

Note 1: The classification on payroll is determined by the nature of the employer as registered, not by the capacity or skills of the worker. 

Note 2: As per Guatemalan law there is no “daily worker” contract concept. 

Note 3: By year 2023, the labor sector proposes raising the minimum wage per day to Q180 / USD 23.04, without making any difference by region  (11 Oct 2022 exchange rate 1 USD = Q. 7.87)  

Labour Rates Overview Rates as of January 2022 

 

Cost / Daily  
(Local Currency & USD - $) 

Month 

 

Bonus 

 

Total Month 

Category: Actividades Agrícolas 

Q. 94.44 

USD 12.23  

Q. 2,872.55 

USD 372.09 

Q. 250 

USD 32.40 

Q. 3,122.55 

USD 404.49 

Category: Actividades no agrícolas  

Q. 97.29 

USD 12.60 

Q. 2,959.24 

USD 383.32 

Q. 250 

USD 32.40 

Q. 3,209.24 

USD 415.72 

 

Category: Actividades de Exportadora y de Maquila  

Q. 88.91 

USD 11.52 

Q. 2,704.35 

USD 350.30 

Q. 250 

USD 32.40 

Q. 2,954.35 

USD 382.70 

 


On December 17, 2021, Government Agreement No. 278-2021 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare was published in the Official Gazette, which establishes the minimum wage for agricultural, non-agricultural and export and maquila activities as of January 1, 2022. 

How is the monthly minimum wage payment calculated? 

According to the criteria of the National Salary and Labor Inspection Commission, it is established that the amount of the monthly minimum wage is determined by the following formula: the multiplication of the daily minimum wage by 365 days of the year and the result divided by 12 months. 

Child Labour Exploitation 

Guatemala presents significant advances in the fight against child labour and exploitation. At least 28 children who were subjected to labor exploitation have been rescued in Guatemala so far in 2022, a figure that, according to authorities from the Ministry of Labor (Mintrab), could increase considerably at the end of November, when operations are carried out in the agricultural sector. 

https://www.congreso.gob.gt/noticias_congreso/8582/2022/1 

https://www.mintrabajo.gob.gt/index.php/noticias/399-instituciones-abordan-estrategias-para-prevenir-y-erradicar-el-trabajo-infantil-en-guatemala-2 


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