Argentine President Javier Milei promised to dismantle the pillars of the Argentina he inherited from Peronism — the populist movement founded by former president Juan Perón — and rebuild a new country from the ground up. One of these pillars, which withstood the onslaught of previous right-wing governments, is labor legislation, whose foundations date back to 1974. This week, the Senate is poised to pass a labor reform that modifies 200 articles of the Employment Contract Law, rendering it unrecognizable. Unlike the attempts made by former presidents Carlos Menem, Fernando de la Rúa, and Mauricio Macri, Milei faces weakened and discredited unions. Also working in his favor is a labor market that has already fragmented and shifted because of technological change and more than a decade of economic stagnation.

The reform incorporates long‑standing demands from Argentina’s business sector. It makes dismissals cheaper, reduces employer contributions, limits unions’ bargaining power and the right to strike, loosens working‑hour rules, and eliminates the obligation to pay overtime. Other ideas were put back in the drawer — saved for better times — such as Article 44, which would have cut the salaries of workers on sick leave or injured by up to 50%.

Unions and opposition parties criticize the law, arguing that it was not negotiated with all parties involved and does not contain not a single article that benefits workers. In their view, the Labor Modernization Law does not adapt...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6AFBVV95cUxOWFRxbm5kbWx1bHZMY0h6czQx...