Since April 13, 2026, Batay Ouvriye affiliated unions have been taking to the streets across Haiti in Port Au Prince, Ounaminthe, and Caracol. The mobilizations are a response to the government hike in fuel prices which have doubled transportation costs, while garment workers’ wages have not been adjusted for cost of living increases, as mandated by the labor code, in four years.
RRN members are fundraising to support them. You can donate here.
The minimum wage in garment assembly factories is 685 gourdes/day (~ $5.23 USD). Gasoline now costs 850 gourdes/gallon (~ $6.50 USD).
Yannick Etienne, a representative of Batay Ouvriye, shared that workers who commute from Carrefour (just south of Port Au Prince) to the SONAPI Industrial Park in the capital spend 600 gourdes per day on their commute alone. With a daily wage of 685 gourdes, they are left with 85 gourdes to pay rent, buy food, and send their children to school. It’s impossible. Workers are rightfully outraged.
Here are their demands:
- For the government to reverse its decision to increase fuel prices;
- For the government to issue a decree setting the minimum wage at 3,000 gourdes without increasing production tariffs, and to adopt accompanying social measures such as subsidies for transportation, social housing, and schools for workers’ children;
- For the government to finalize the decision previously taken by the Minister of Commerce together with the Minister of Finance to suspend a series of taxes and duties for workers in the textile sector.
- We call upon the Haitian government to take urgent actions to address the worsening security crisis. The government must resolve the insecurity that armed gangs are spreading in various areas of the country. These measures are essential to restore peace, protect communities, and ensure that workers and citizens can live and work without fear. We urge the authorities to act decisively to dismantle gang networks and guarantee safety across the nation. The programmed insecurity must stop immediately.
Etienne shared that the most sustained mobilization is happening in Port Au Prince led by workers from the SONAPI Industrial Park. Debilitated by gang violence, the park that once employed 60,000 workers now employs around 2,000, mostly women.
“These women are not messing around. They are determined to force the government to address their demands.”
When the sound truck arrives outside SONAPI around 6am, the women quickly go inside to punch in, then walk out. Etienne said they often have to force their way out of the factory as managers try to lock them in.
On May 1st, the workers will mobilize again for their demands, and in recognition of International Workers Day.
Some Florida members of the RRN have organized a fundraiser to support their efforts, alongside a screening of the short documentary, Batay La (The Struggle). Please consider making a donation.
If you’d like to watch the film, but can’t make it to south Florida, you can watch Batay La here.
Happy May Day. Thank you for your solidarity. Batay l’ap kontinye. (The struggle continues).