Santiago de Chile, November 26 (PL-RHC)-- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have criticized from their regional headquarters in Chile, the non-compliance and weakness by several Latin American and Caribbean countries with the minimum salary, regarding economic variables.

Elizabeth Tinoco, ILO regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, recalled the minimum salary is one of the main political instruments oriented to protect wage-earning workers. When it is applied in the right way, it is a really efficient tool in the struggle against poverty and inequality, she added.

Raul Benitez, FAO regional representative stated that if workers do not receive a salary to guarantee food security for them and their families, it will not be possible to eradicate hunger in the region.

Benitez said that strengthening labor market, especially in rural areas, is one pending challenge for the region and can have an immediate impact on poverty and food insecurity of those most vulnerable.