The Argentine government decided to remove Article 44 on sick leave from its labor reform bill to ensure approval in the Chamber of Deputies, scheduled for Thursday, February 19, 2026. The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) called a 24-hour general strike that day in rejection of the initiative, with transport unions joining to halt trains, buses, and flights. This move addresses pressures from opposition and allies to avoid litigation over labor rights.
The labor reform bill, which has already received half-sanction in the Senate, faces a key debate in the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, February 19, 2026. To ensure quorum, the ruling party agreed to remove Article 44, which proposed payments of 75% of salary for involuntary illnesses and 50% for voluntary ones over three or six months, depending on the case. This provision, added in the Senate, drew criticism for potentially reducing rights established in Article 208 of the Labor Contract Law.
Deputy Silvana Giudici, from La Libertad Avanza, defended the bill stating: 'The intention of Article 44 was to lower high litigation. It aimed to limit prolonged leaves and fake certificates.' However, allies like PRO and provincial governors, including Salta's Gustavo Sáenz, conditioned their support on removing the article. PRO's Cristian Ritondo wrote on X: 'The best way to achieve the labor modernization law is to drop Article 44.'
In response, the CGT called a 24-hour general strike for February 19, forgoing large mobilizations but with full impact on transport: no trains, buses, or flights, according to Rubén 'Pollo' Sobrero. State unions like ATE and UPCN, as well as industrial ones from UOM, joined. The government will deduct the day from adhering state employees.
Martín Rappallini, president of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), celebrated the Senate's half-sanction and was unsurprised by the article's removal. 'It's a very complex issue... absenteeism rose to astronomical levels, in some cases up to 15% in SMEs,' he said in an Infobae interview. He supported the bill for providing 'predictability to labor relations' and compared it to Brazil's 2017 reform, which generated jobs.
After approval in Deputies with modifications, the bill will return to the Senate for final sanction, possibly on February 27. The ruling party is confident in over 129 votes, promoting the reform as a way to reduce informality to 43% and lower employment taxes by up to 85% for new jobs over four years.
