Haiti government agrees to pay compensation to end workers protest

Haitian President Michel Martelly said Friday that his government may grant transport and food subsidies as a compensation to end workers' protest, according to reports from Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. The compensation may come atop increasing the minimum monthly salary to 6,750 Haitian gourdes (156.97 U.S. dollars). At the end of November, the Higher Council of Salaries, the government and the involved parties agreed on the minimum monthly increase, which will come into force on Jan. 1, 2014. However, some workers rejected the plan and held a three-day protest two weeks ago to demand a daily pay of 500 gourdes (10.36 dollars). In response to the protests, Martelly said he was considering both sides' demands, but warned that "investors cannot operate with losses."