Mexico President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador turned up the heat on firms during this COVID-19 crisis telling them that they should continue paying their workers or face public contempt even as his economic management's criticism grows among the opposition and business leaders.

The President, who has stimulated concern among the company owners, as well as the foreign embassies for letting major contracts with companies to be summoned into query, urged bosses "to act with their conscience" in compensating their staff.

Speaking during the morning news conference which is done regularly, Lopez Obrador, a leftist leader, said that some of the leading companies in Mexico have committed to holding on to their respective workers during this time of crisis.

In addition, he also told the reporters that without identifying specific companies, indeed, there are some, he said, that don't behave accordingly. However, he continued, they still have "time to change," because, he warned, "they'll look bad."

Full Payment of Wages Mandated

The President also said there's no point in spending an ample amount of money on advertising if, in an emergency or crisis, these companies act in a selfish or usurious manner.

The political leader explained, in a public health emergency, the labor law in Mexico allows companies to put their staff on minimum wages for one month.

On Tuesday, President Lopez Obrador said, a similar law had a rule, as well, to obligate a full payment of salary, and urge firms to do it out of unity.

First off, he said, there is no need to bring the appeal to tribunals as it should be done for humanitarian reasons. In addition, the president stated, he is presenting a plan on Sunday for the fueling of the economy.

Although so far, he said he has pushed back from the business lobbies' proposal to spend more money to moderate the misfortune of what the economic experts are expecting to be as a sharp recession.

Rather, President Lopez Obrador has taken a message that he delivered a message that his administration is ready to support the small businesses, as well as the poor.

However, he said he is not going to stage the "neo-liberal" kind of bailouts he refers to which his successors orchestrated for those on top.

Reckless Speech, According to Business Executives

Business owners who feel they are the ones being targeted by the President's use of the "neo-liberal" term, not to mention his tendency of demonizing money, consider his speech as reckless at a period when there is already an economic recession, and the peso has fallen to several record lows.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the President upset on Saturday, some renewable-energy advocates after he slammed wind turbines in Mexico's remote areas as "neo-liberal" eyesore which came from corruption, just as he gets ready to reveal a major energy plan envisioned for the lifting of the company.

The economic management of this Mexican President has provided the opposition politicians with an opportunity to begin appearing from his shadow. In addition, the western state of Jalisco governor Enrique Alfaro said on Wednesday, the administration was neglecting the needs of companies.

Businesses, he added, are not requesting for tax breaks, and that, they literally desire for oxygen so they can portray their respective roles.