Following the Senate's approval of the labor reform, Senator Patricia Bullrich announced potential modifications to the article on leaves for serious illnesses to retain 100% salary. However, another government source states no changes will be accepted, creating internal tensions. The CGT threatens a general strike in response to the measure.
The labor reform, known as the Labor Modernization Law, received preliminary approval in the Senate with 42 votes in favor, thanks to support from sectors allied with mileísmo. One of the most controversial points is the one that reduces salary payments to 50% during leaves for illnesses exceeding three months if due to recreational causes, and to 75% for involuntary conditions like cancer.
Officialist Senator Patricia Bullrich, in statements to Todo Noticias channel, clarified that changes will be introduced for severe, degenerative, or irrecoverable illnesses, maintaining 100% salary only with reliable corroboration. 'On severe, degenerative, or irrecoverable diseases... we are going to make a modification and we are going to leave it at 100%', she expressed. Bullrich mentioned conversations with Martín Menem, president of the Chamber of Deputies, and María Igarzabal Murphy, Secretary of Legal and Technical Affairs. She argued that there is a 'mafia of fake certificates' contributing to 15% justified absences, and that clinics and doctors are imprisoned for fraudulent practices.
However, the Government is hardening its stance and states that it will not accept changes to the initiative, seeking its sanction before the end of the extraordinary sessions. This generates internal tensions, exacerbated by statements from Federico Sturzenegger on injuries from playing soccer.
From the opposition, José Mayans, head of the kirchnerista interbloc in the Senate, described the reform as 'regressive' and criticized dialoguista governors and the CGT. Meanwhile, Cristian Jerónimo, co-general secretary of the CGT and leader of the SEIVARA union, announced that 'all conditions are in place' for a general strike against the reform, possibly on the day it is debated in the Deputies if approved on Monday at the labor federation's meeting. Jerónimo pointed to suspicions about molotov bomb incidents during Wednesday's mobilization to discredit it, and threatened to judicialize the law if it passes.