Tension is unfolding in and outside Congress as senators prepare to give a final vote on President Javier Milei’s labor reform and debate a bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

Police could be seen in the streets trying to push back protesters attempting to get to the Congress building. Security forces used tear gas against activists from social movements  and political parties that began making their way to the building early in the morning.

Although at some points police managed to move protesters in order to allow cars to keep moving, the streets continued filling up ahead of the session scheduled for 11 a.m.

Protests against the labor reform also include a 24-hour strike carried out by several unions, among them the State Workers Association (ATE, by its Spanish initials), metal workers union UOM, and workers from the oil and cotton production industry.

The labor reform has already been approved, as it reached a majority vote from both the senate and the lower house. Deputies introduced some changes in last week’s session that need to be greenlighted by the senate in order for it to formally become law.

The core aspects remained the same. The reform changes existing legislation that regulates workers’ rights and duties in order to make them more flexible. This includes extending trial periods and introducing the option for employers to eliminate overtime pay and paying salaries based on employees’ productivity, among other things.

The main change introduced by deputies is the elimination of an article that limited the sick leave employees have the right to be paid, cutting their salaries between 25 and 50% when the injury or disease was unrelated to their jobs.

Ruling party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) agreed to eliminate the article in order to get the  lower house opposition on board. Now, senators will have to vote on whether or not they accept that change. They will not make a vote on the bill as a whole, as it has already been approved.

LLA senators, however, have said they will attempt to pass a bill specifically targeting the issue of sick leave pay throughout the year to target what they called “abusive” abscenses. Workers with serious and incurable diseases would not see their salaries cut.

“The labor reform is extraordinarily important. Each company and worker will be able to negotiate labor conditions within their workplace,” LLA senator Patricia Bullrich said as she entered Congress. “Each province will be able to adapt labor conditions according to their productivity. Union contributions will be limited, so unions will have to be austere.”

The other topic in the agenda is a bill that aims to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 14. The provision has already been approved by the lower house after unexpectedly being added by Milei to the Congress agenda following a series of crimes committed by minors over the summer.

Extraordinary sessions

Friday’s senate session is the last of the extraordinary sessions of Congress the government called for February. 

On Sunday, the president will give a speech to formally open the legislative year, a political tradition in Argentina that takes place on March 1.

Milei is expected to celebrate recent legislative successes, such as the labor reform, the age of criminal responsibility bill — which is expected to pass — and the Mercosur-European Union trade deal, which was approved by the senate on Wednesday.

© Buenos Aires Herald