Argentina's Senate Passes Milei's Labor Overhaul After Day of Protests

Overview

• The upper chamber approved the reform after hours of tense debate and forwarded the text to President Javier Milei for sanction.
• The law allows flexible vacations, extends trial periods, permits workdays of up to 12 hours with compensatory time, restricts strikes in essential services, and revises severance and collective bargaining rules.
• Thousands of demonstrators rallied near Congress in Buenos Aires during a nationwide strike, with road blockages and a heavy police presence reported.
• Union confederations said they will contest parts of the statute as unconstitutional and signaled continued mobilization.
• To assemble a majority, the government accepted about 30 changes, dropping proposals to pay wages in goods or via digital wallets and removing a clause that would have cut compensation for off-duty injuries.