The National Commission of Minimum Wages published and approved new general minimum and special wages that willbe in force in Mexico as of January 1, 2010. The increase is 4.85% across the three geographic zones that divide thecountry. The minimum general daily salary for each zone in 2010 is as follows: Zone"A", which includes municipalities inBaja California and Baja California Sur, the Federal District and various other municipalities, $54.80 pesos; Zone "B",which includes various municipalities in Jalisco, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, $53.26 pesos and Zone "C" comprised ofmunicipalities in the states of Aguascalientes, Estado de Mexico, Sonora and Veracruz, among others, at $51.95 pesos. Inaddition, the Commission established special minimum wages for certain professions, offices and jobs, with an averageincrease of 4.85%. It is worth noting that this increase is mandatory only so far as it refers to minimum wages. Increases innon-minimum salaries depend on the individual negotiations between employers and employees or unions, as the case maybe, based on the specific conditions of each workplace. Notwithstanding the above, the increase in minimum salaries hasalways served as a basis for negotiating increases in other salary levels.
