Havana Tour 1 March 14

We arrived just after 9:00 AM and a taxi van was waiting. The driver told us we would pick up Sam, which we did just off the resort property. We were told that he was shaving in the staff buildings because he had no power overnight at home, which turned out to be true – we think. He joined us and away we went. If it had been just we two, we realized that he would have arranged a smaller cab and the fare would have been less - 70 instead of 2 x 50 CUCs. On our return, Sam jumped out of the taxi just before the gate and said he had to go to work – see you later. More on this later.
Our education in Cuban life, official economy and underground economy then began and continued all day long.
Sam has a grade 12 education and since then had worked as a security guard and a dispatcher for a utility company before his present job. Most jobs are government controlled, including his at the resort. His personal employment file would be kept by his employer – the resort. In the low season, when employees are laid off without pay, and must remain ‘available’ to work. If he decided to change jobs, his file would go to his next employer. He would probably no longer be able to return to the same job– and may never get back into the tourism business, certainly not at this resort. His monthly salary at his regular job is 10 CUCs, plus the equivalent in regular pesos – or about $20.00! We had read that the average Cuban salary is $17 per month. Hard to believe.
We tourists use CUC’s roughly equal to $1.00 Canadian or US, depending on the exchange rate. The CUC was invented for tourism and international commerce. Everyday Cubans trade in regular pesos, a completely different currency worth about 1/25 of a CUC.
Our resort, as all resorts is government owned, and staff are employed under strictly controlled conditions. All employees must have a Grade 12 education and have additional training in their area of expertise. Sam has a partner and an infant son to be 1 in April. They receive a monthly ration of food. 7 eggs, powdered milk for the first year and then milk until his son reaches 7 years, a ration of rice, bread and a half pound of chicken. They have a ration book that they take to purchase food and they are assigned to the closest food depot to get their rations. Sam said that the distance to the store to get his son’s milk – which is measured and poured out daily is very unreasonable.
His ‘wife’ has only Grade 9 education and can’t get an official job. There is a low percentage of private employment, however, if at any time someone starts a restaurant, or some other business, at any time, the government may impose extra taxes or regulation making the business not profitable. Artists, artisans, writers, and other self-employed persons pay income tax, whereas he and other regular “government” employees don’t. We had been advised that if we purchase any Cuban art, we must show proof and amount of purchase at customs when leaving. Cigars are controlled in a similar fashion.
The taxi van we were driving in is government owned. The driver has a regular salary and must report each and every fare, time of pick up and delivery. His tips are also officially controlled, I think and he gets a commission based on his taxi’s income.
Vehicles are government owned – mostly. There are many different coloured licence plates that identify ownership. Private taxis are identifiable – usually they are the 1950’s autos, which may be uninsured and unsafe.
Police checkpoints are regular along the roads. There are hitchhiking locations controlled by a uniformed person. Certain government owned vehicles with space are obligated to pick up hitchhikers – for a small fare. Failure to comply results in loss of driving privileges. Although we had 2 to 4 seats unoccupied, I guess we were OK.
Education is free. All children wear school uniforms for which colours are standardized according to grade level. Attendance, lateness and behavior are strictly controlled, with expulsion relatively easily imposed. Curriculum is rigidly controlled, in favour of the socialist government ideals.
Appliances are very expensive by Cuban standards, costing about the same as in Canada or USA, but keep in mind that the salaries in Cuba are minimal, so many don’t have refrigerators, washers, stoves. At our resort, we get about 30 channels including ESPN and CNN, CTV and Global – but not ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX or CBC. We do get
Sam has a TV, but unlike us, he gets 5 Cuban channels, 3 of which carry government talk programs only.
The health care system is free – but see later entries.
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