HAVANA – Cuba’s communist government announced Monday new labor measures to “stimulate jobs,” enable employees to increase their income and allow most workers to have more than one job.

The reforms seek “the rational use of human resources” and are included in a decree approved last Friday by President Raul Castro and the Council of State, according to a communique published in the official media.

“An important part of this ruling is linked to the rational use of human resources and hiring to ease the effects of an aging population, stimulate jobs throughout society as well as providing workers with the chance to increase their income,” the note said.

“The comprehensive regulation particularly mentions the possibility of multiple employment that will allow workers, after fulfilling the duties of their main jobs, to accept other employment for the corresponding wage,” the communique said.

Cubans earn roughly $17 a month on average, though they also receive free, universal health care and education, as well as some subsidized food and basic products with their ration card.

Banned from holding second jobs are health-care personnel, researchers, educators and auditors, “except for the exercise of teaching jobs, scientific research and other undertakings that are approved by the express decision of the authority or agency that designated or chose them.”

There is also the new possibility that students of working age can work part-time and get paid on the basis of “results,” as long as it doesn’t interfere with their education and the fulfillment of their obligatory social service upon graduation.

The decree specifies the requirements and conditions for the awarding of monetary benefits for maternity and acknowledges the right of workers to receive compensation for economic and moral damages when he or she is found to have been unjustly fined or disciplined.

The reforms seek to adapt labor regulations to current circumstances on the island, where chronic economic hardships are getting even worse and there is a severe lack of liquidity, the government said.

According to the communique, the decree “ratifies” the government’s readiness to “stimulate productive forces and make possible an increase of income.”

The government reduced from 6 percent to 2.5 percent its 2009 growth forecast because of the effects on the island of the global financial crisis, the $10 billion in damages from three hurricanes in 2008, the drop in revenues from exports and services and the increase in the cost of imports.

Gen. Raul Castro, 78, became Cuba’s head of state in February 2008. He initially served as interim president after older brother idel, now 82, was stricken with a severe intestinal illness in July 2006.

Since taking the reins, Raul has pushed to institute performance-based pay, a major departure from the radical egalitarianism championed by Fidel.

Gen. Castro says that boosting productivity is the only way to improve Cubans’ living standards.

Performance-linked pay is a feature of the “enterprise perfection” model that Raul, then serving as defense minister, established more than 20 years ago in the companies managed by Cuba’s armed forces.

For a time during the 1990s, Gen. Castro was even sending military officers to European business schools to prepare them for running state enterprises.

“Enterprise perfection” implies the introduction of efficient systems in the organization of work, accounting, internal controls, quality control, the awarding of contracts, innovation and the management of costs, prices and systems of payment. EFE