Social Dialogue: Morocco to Increase Minimum Agricultural Wage Starting Sept. 2022

01 mai 2022 Printable Version

Rabat - Morocco's guaranteed minimum agricultural wage (SMAG) will increase by 10% from September 2022, with a view to bringing it into line with the guaranteed minimum inter-professional wage (SMIG) in the industry, trade and liberal professions sectors by 2028, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development and Water and Forests.

Acting within the framework of the social agreement concluded between the government, the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and the most representative trade union centers, this measure will be applied gradually, the ministry said in a statement.

"The Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER) is committed under this agreement to implement the SMAG increase by respecting the agreed timetable, to join the conclusion of collective agreements of work, continue efforts to declare employees to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and respect the freedoms and rights of trade unions," said the same source.

The ministry recalled that the SMAG increase and its alignment with the minimum wage in other sectors is among the main objectives of the 2020-2030 Génération Green strategy launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which prioritizes the human element by creating an agricultural middle class through the improvement of farmers' income and their social development.

In this regard, the Ministry works together with other ministerial departments concerned in the framework of programs, dialogues and meetings that aim to improve the working conditions of this category, insofar as committees have been formed to study the axes and have led to the drafting of the minutes of the social agreement, signed at the meeting of the High Commission for Social Dialogue chaired on Saturday by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.

The Ministry attaches great importance to social dialogue as a means to consolidate participatory democracy and an essential mechanism to develop cooperation with its social partners and achieve lasting social peace through the resolution of labor issues, ensuring adequate working conditions for these partners and strengthening trade union freedom.

This importance is reflected in the full commitment of the Ministry to implement the circulars issued by the Head of Government on the sectoral social dialogue and opt for the open door to trade unions that represent the sector, concludes the statement.