Deputies bow to intense pressure, will revisit government wage cap bill

Santo Domingo.- With nearly two weeks of harsh criticism from business, the clergy and civil society, the Chamber of Deputies bowed to pressure Friday and will meet Monday to debate the Senate’s rejection of its amendments which sidestepped wage caps for government officials.

Chamber president Abel Martinez said the deputies are forced to accept the rejection of its amendments, otherwise the piece would expire and would have to wait until after August 16 to debate again. "The government wage regulation law is of great importance for the country and we welcome it, although I understand that some deputies could make some kind of observations."

In Thursday night’s session the Senate rejected the deputies’ amendment to the wage regulating law to exclude the Congress, noting that it’s illegal because as the Constitution stipulates, lawmakers cannot legislate for their own benefit.

Senate president Reynaldo Pared said everyone must sacrifice and Congress sends a poor signal and would lose authority if was to be excluded from the application of that initiative.