Low wage has been one of the most debated issues in the 20th Congress of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba (CTC), a senior union official said here on Saturday.

Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, president of the CTC organizing committee, said that an increase in wages must go first based on the principle that all the (State) companies should work with efficiency.

"It will not be possible to increase the income of workers if the company is not able to finance this growth," the official said.

Average monthly wages in Cuba stand at 17 US dollars, an amount far from being satisfactory for local residents.

Founded in 1939, the CTC, the only and official workers' union on the island, has some 3 million members