Metro Bus Drivers To Get A $100 Per Month Raise - Salary Will Be $680 Base
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The government of Panama has finally been forced to take the gloves off when it comes to their efforts to hire more drivers for the ever expanding Metro Bus public transportation system. Starting in February 2012, Metro Bus drivers will receive a monthly base salary of $680 - representing an increase of $100 over the current base. The government is expanding the system and deploying new buses as fast as they arrive in the country, as they take the old "Red Devil" buses off the streets. They have been having problems attracting drivers to take the bus driver jobs because Panama's economy has been red hot and expanding steadily, creating a stream of new and better paying jobs. Simply put, anyone who can drive a bus can usually get a better paying job driving something else. The drivers also get other incentives for performance, arriving on time, avoiding problems on the road such as accidents, and the like. This inability to hire drivers is representative of the broader problems in the labor market in Panama, where there is an abundance of new jobs but a shortage of skilled personnel to fill them. This new wage will put the bus drivers at about $200 per month - or about 45% - above the new minimum wage. On a side note, the government of Panama is paying a $25,000 dollar "severance" payment to the owners of the old "Red Devil" buses for each vehicle that is taken off the road.
Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
