El Salvador's Bukele seeks 20% minimum wage hike, orders food handouts

FILE PHOTO: El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks at a graduation ceremony for higher rank police officers in San Salvador, El Salvador, May 19, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Thursday requested a minimum wage hike of 20% from August, citing the impact of global inflation on poor Salvadorans.

Bukele, speaking in a video shared on his Twitter account, said the government would subsidize small and medium-sized companies for 12 months to cover the increase, with the goal of keeping businesses from passing on higher costs to consumers.