Protesters urge World Bank to increase minimum wage in middle income countries

By Marlon Madden in Washington

A small group of protestors gathered outside the World Bank buildings this morning amidst the annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, calling for a change in how the World Bank classifies countries by income level.

Members and supporters of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) said the bank’s designations to middle income countries were unfair.

With posters in hand and placards, a portion of the large AIDS organization invited passersby to have a free cup of coffee in a trade for a conversation to drum up support for efforts to encourage an increase in the minimum wage in middle income countries (MIC).

They chanted a number of catchy phrases including World Bank, too big to care, $2.73 is not fair, and raise the MIC today.

It costs an average of US$2.73 for a cup of coffee in the United States.

One protestor told Barbados TODAY that US$2.73 was simply not enough per day to feed a household or take care of medical needs in poorer countries.

“So we are saying give us at least US$10 per day,” he said.

He disclosed that a number of people have been showing support for the ongoing AHF campaign by stopping and taking the coffee and having a conversation.

Officials of the World Bank were not immediately available for comment.

Policymakers have gathered in Washington this week for the 2019 Spring Meetings to identify a number of financial related challenges, discuss developments and come up with possible solutions.