Certain sectors of the business community are not in full agreement with statements issued yesterday by CONEP (National Council on Business) and ANJE (Young Entrepreneurs’ Association) with regards to the need to meet with the National Committee on Salaries and determine what increase to the minimum wage is required. CONEP said they would encourage their members to follow suit with regards to the salaries of their other employees, especially faced with the meager purchasing power of the peso. As reported in today’s El Caribe, the Herrera Association of Industrial Businesses feels that distortions in the salary scales should be eliminated, especially in regards to the minimum wage. The association, which was one of the first to call for wage increases to restore purchasing power to their employees, recognizes at the same time that the idea of wage increases scares most businesses that are having a hard time anyway. CONEP altered its position and proposed that workers and employers get together at the CNS (National Committee on Salaries) to settle a new minimum wage and then proceed to encourage companies to adjust the other wage scales accordingly. The Herrera association said they felt any differences should be debated at the CNS. The representative for the National Council for Union Solidarity (CNUS) said that while there are some businesspeople with no interest whatsoever in discussing a minimum wage raise, others are willing to consider such a deal and others yet have already implemented pay increases unilaterally within their business months ago. The spokesperson for the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production, Luis Jose Bonilla Bojos, said that his people were worried the legislature would attempt to establish such a raise. Another factor in these talks is the fact that the US dollar is currently below the RD$40 mark and seems to be stable. Elena Viyella, the head of CONEP, says that this fact must be taken into consideration. Rafael Abreu, the vice-president of CNUS, said that his council is ready to consult with the business community and arrive at an agreement and if that agreement yields wages that are higher or lower than some companies are currently paying, then so be it.