The Council of State provisionally suspended the decree setting a 23.7% minimum wage increase for 2026, but the government and labor representatives seek to maintain it. President Gustavo Petro called for a national mobilization on February 19 to defend the vital wage. Fenalco warned of risks to over 700,000 formal jobs.
On February 16, 2026, the Concertación Commission began at the Ministry of Labor to discuss the minimum wage adjustment, convened by Minister Antonio Sanguino at President Gustavo Petro's instruction. This meeting, involving the government, business guilds, and labor unions, follows the provisional suspension of the decree setting a 23.7% increase, leaving the wage at $2 million plus a $249,095 transport subsidy.
Sanguino described the conversation as fluid and stated that 'de lado y lado de la mesa se encuentran en favor de mantener el incremento de 23,7% del salario mínimo'. The government reaffirmed its commitment to a vital and mobile minimum wage, as per the Constitution, and plans to issue a transitional decree while defending the measure judicially. Finance Minister Germán Ávila noted that the vital wage is an acquired right and that economic analyses will be conducted to respond to the Council of State.
Meanwhile, Jaime Alberto Cabal, president of Fenalco, warned that maintaining the 23.7% would risk over 700,000 formal jobs and hinder dignified employment for 13 million informal workers. 'No es posible reabrir la discusión ni cambiar los parámetros técnicos establecidos', explained Cabal, who also expressed concern for over one million micro and small enterprises, representing 93% of the business fabric, which could not absorb the increase. He added that the hike is already impacting inflation in sectors like transport, out-of-home food, and health.
Petro, in a televised address, disagreed with the suspension ordered by Council of State magistrate Juan Camilo Zas Moreno, citing Constitutional Court ruling C-815 of 1999 that prioritizes labor protection. He called for gatherings on February 19 at 4:00 p.m. in public squares to support the proposal, emphasizing that 'la defensa de la medida no se limita a argumentos jurídicos o económicos, sino que también requiere la fuerza del pueblo trabajador'.
