Americas

Argentina: House approves Milei's labour reform amid protests and general strike

The reform introduces working days of up to 12 hours, new rules for holidays and digital work, and creates an alternative fund for redundancy payments.

20 February 2026

Argentina, manifestazione a Buenos Aires: scontri con la polizia

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Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The Argentine Chamber of Deputies approved with 135 votes in favour and 115 against a labour reform project promoted by the government of President Javier Milei, aat the end of a day marked by a general strike and protests against the initiative. The text will now have to go back to the Senate for final approval after the amendments introduced during consideration in the lower house.

"It is affirmative," announced House Speaker Martin Menem in the night, proclaiming the outcome of the vote and ordering the approval of the project chapter by chapter. The measure passed with 135 votes in favour, 115 against and no abstentions, after almost ten hours of debate.

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The approval came at the end of a day in which the country's main trade union centre, the General Confederation of Labour, had proclaimed a general strike against the reform, accompanied by a demonstration in front of Congress with the participation of left-wing parties, social movements and trade union organisations. In the afternoon the government deployed federal security forces around the parliament and also used water cannon trucks to disperse the protesters.

The governing party La Libertad Avanza got the green light thanks to the support of dialoguing opposition forces, including Pro and the Radical Civic Union, as well as deputies close to several governors, including from the Peronist area.

Argentina, scontri davanti al Congresso sulla riforma del lavoro di Milei

The reform modifies the current labour regime in force since 1974 and introduces, among the main innovations, the possibility of working days of up to 12 hours through a time bank system that would compensate overtime with rest or reduced hours. The text also allows employers to split holidays into periods of at least seven days and to take at least part of them in the summer season every two years.

The proposal extends the probationary period in various special schemes, including those for rural workers and domestic helpers, and introduces a specific scheme for work via digital platforms, in which the worker is considered self-employed and is not entitled to paid holidays or thirteenth month's pay.

The measure also envisages the creation of an employment assistance fund as an alternative to redundancy payments, financed through social security, and the derogation of several professional statutes, including that of the journalist. In the last few hours, however, the executive agreed to withdraw the rule that would have allowed the employer to pay between 50 and 75 per cent of the salary in case of absence due to non-occupational illness or injury, a change that requires a new parliamentary passage in the Senate for the final sanction.