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Cuba Facts is an ongoing series of succinct fact sheets
on various topics, including, but not limited to, political structure,
health, economy, education, nutrition, labor, business, foreign investment,
and demographics, published and updated on a regular basis by the Cuba
Transition Project staff.
- 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.
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The CTP can be contacted at P.O.
Box 248174, Coral Gables, Florida 33124-3010, Tel: 305-284-CUBA (2822),
Fax: 305-284-4875, and by email at ctp.iccas@miami.edu.
The CTP Website is accessible at http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu. |
