Morocco’s Minister for Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri announced on Sunday that the government will work to increase the minimum wage by 5% in the industry, commerce, and agriculture sectors.
On the occasion of the Labor Day celebration, Sekkouri noted that the government will ensure that employers apply this increase in September 2023.
He also discussed potential revisions to Morocco’s labor code, claiming that work is being done to launch a project to revise the laws while noting that the code has not been revised in nearly two decades.
With regard to retirement pensions, the minister claimed that the government has also worked to resolve a problem affecting retirees who were incapable of satisfying their contribution threshold of 11 years with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).
Noting that the problem affected more than 80% of retirees, the minister claimed that the government has reduced this threshold to just about 4 years or 1,320 days of work.
“More than that, we have worked to ensure the recovery of contributions paid by the employer for this minority of citizens,” the minister said.
Public frustrations
The remarks come at a time where the economic situation of Moroccans is particularly tough, with many decrying the skyrocketing costs of living and stagnant wages, which have left many workers and families unable to meet basic life necessities.
Despite constant reassurances from the government, Moroccans continue to face high prices for fuel and food, with red meat and vegetables recently reaching record prices.
The persistent high costs have led many to criticize the government for inaction towards the topic, urging them to put in place more measures to help Moroccans increase their purchasing power.
The frustration reached high levels over the past year, with repeated calls among citizens for the resignation of government members, including head of government Aziz Akhannouch.
Several labor unions have also called for strikes to protest the stagnant pay and costs, as well as other socio-economic issues that persist in Moroccan society.
Complaints and mediation
Sekkouri also added that the government handled nearly 58,000 personal litigations in workplaces during the fiscal year, reinstating nearly 5,000 dismissed employees in the process.
Dismissal complaints were the most common type of litigation that the government dealt with, followed by wage complaints, working hour problems, and contract and organization complaints.
Sekkouri also indicated that the interventions of the Labor Inspectorate prevented the outbreak of over 480 strikes in 473 establishments
Read also: Morocco Raises Minimum Wage for Agriculture, Industry Workers
The minister additionally praised the government’s Awrach program, which he said aims to give 150,000 beneficiaries the opportunity to discover the labor market for the first time and acquire professional experience.
