Latest news with #laborreform
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Colombia's labour unions participate in 48-hour strike in support of president's labour referendum
A demonstrator pulls a flag during a strike called by pro-government labor unions in support of reforms proposed by President Gustavo Petro in Cali, Colombia, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga) BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia's labour unions on Wednesday began a 48-hour strike in support of a referendum proposed by President Gustavo Petro to let voters to decide whether to overhaul the country's labour laws. The work stoppage was in response to a direct call from Petro, who has argued that Congress is working against the interest of workers by repeatedly blocking his efforts to reform labour regulations. The referendum, whose questions would include whether workdays should be limited to eight hours, has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labour reform twice, most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1. Two weeks later, the legislative body voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud and eventually calling on workers to demonstrate in favor of his proposal. 'We are telling the Senate that it cannot continue legislating against the working class,' Fabio Arias, president of the United Workers' Central, said in a statement. 'For this reason, we demand that the referendum be approved as a real mechanism for restoring rights.' Arias' union hoped to get at least 3 million workers to participate in the strike. Unions members on Wednesday took to the streets in Colombia's major cities. In the capital, Bogota, some protesters blocked public bus lanes, impeding the movement of thousands of people, according to the mayor's office. 'I'm mobilizing because I feel that my rights have been violated,' Yeimy Cante Toro, a member of the union of workers from non-governmental organizations, said as she demonstrated in Bogota. A day earlier, Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said Petro will issue a decree on June 1 to authorize the referendum if lawmakers fail to vote on it again. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, is eligible for reelection. 'Congress gave the government a lifeline at a moment of great weakness by rejecting the labour reform,' said Mauricio Velásquez, a political science professor at the University of Los Andes. 'It gave (Petro) the opportunity to repeat the strategy of using legislative failure as a way to stir up the political arena.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Colombia's labor unions participate in 48-hour strike in support of president's labor referendum
Colombia's labor unions on Wednesday began a 48-hour strike in support of a referendum proposed by President Gustavo Petro to let voters to decide whether to overhaul the country's labor laws. The work stoppage was in response to a direct call from Petro, who has argued that Congress is working against the interest of workers by repeatedly blocking his efforts to reform labor regulations. The referendum, whose questions would include whether workdays should be limited to eight hours, has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labor reform twice, most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1. Two weeks later, the legislative body voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud and eventually calling on workers to demonstrate in favor of his proposal. 'We are telling the Senate that it cannot continue legislating against the working class,' Fabio Arias, president of the United Workers' Central, said in a statement. 'For this reason, we demand that the referendum be approved as a real mechanism for restoring rights.' Arias' union hoped to get at least 3 million workers to participate in the strike. Unions members on Wednesday took to the streets in Colombia's major cities. In the capital, Bogota, some protesters blocked public bus lanes, impeding the movement of thousands of people, according to the mayor's office. 'I'm mobilizing because I feel that my rights have been violated,' Yeimy Cante Toro, a member of the union of workers from non-governmental organizations, said as she demonstrated in Bogota. A day earlier, Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said Petro will issue a decree on June 1 to authorize the referendum if lawmakers fail to vote on it again. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, is eligible for reelection. 'Congress gave the government a lifeline at a moment of great weakness by rejecting the labor reform,' said Mauricio Velásquez, a political science professor at the University of Los Andes. 'It gave (Petro) the opportunity to repeat the strategy of using legislative failure as a way to stir up the political arena.'
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Colombia's labor unions participate in 48-hour strike in support of president's labor referendum
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's labor unions on Wednesday began a 48-hour strike in support of a referendum proposed by President Gustavo Petro to let voters to decide whether to overhaul the country's labor laws. The work stoppage was in response to a direct call from Petro, who has argued that Congress is working against the interest of workers by repeatedly blocking his efforts to reform labor regulations. The referendum, whose questions would include whether workdays should be limited to eight hours, has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labor reform twice, most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1. Two weeks later, the legislative body voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud and eventually calling on workers to demonstrate in favor of his proposal. 'We are telling the Senate that it cannot continue legislating against the working class,' Fabio Arias, president of the United Workers' Central, said in a statement. 'For this reason, we demand that the referendum be approved as a real mechanism for restoring rights.' Arias' union hoped to get at least 3 million workers to participate in the strike. Unions members on Wednesday took to the streets in Colombia's major cities. In the capital, Bogota, some protesters blocked public bus lanes, impeding the movement of thousands of people, according to the mayor's office. 'I'm mobilizing because I feel that my rights have been violated,' Yeimy Cante Toro, a member of the union of workers from non-governmental organizations, said as she demonstrated in Bogota. A day earlier, Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said Petro will issue a decree on June 1 to authorize the referendum if lawmakers fail to vote on it again. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, is eligible for reelection. 'Congress gave the government a lifeline at a moment of great weakness by rejecting the labor reform,' said Mauricio Velásquez, a political science professor at the University of Los Andes. 'It gave (Petro) the opportunity to repeat the strategy of using legislative failure as a way to stir up the political arena.'
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Spanish citizens set to work less hours every week
The Spanish government has taken a significant step towards enhancing work-life balance for its citizens by reducing the working week. A bill approved on Tuesday aims to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 37.5, impacting an estimated 12.5 million workers in the private sector. This move builds upon existing practices within the civil service and select industries. The Ministry of Labor anticipates this reduction will yield positive outcomes, boosting productivity and curbing absenteeism. Vice President and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz hailed the decision, stating, "Today we are modernizing the world of labor and helping people to be a little happier." Key sectors expected to be affected include retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and construction. The move signifies a broader effort by the Spanish government to prioritise worker well-being and potentially reshape the landscape of employment within the country. The parliament, where the left-wing coalition government doesn't have enough votes, will have to approve the bill for it to come into effect. The main trade unions support the proposal, unlike the business association. Sumar, the leftist minority partner of President Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party, proposed the bill. The Catalan nationalist party Junts, an occasional ally of Sánchez's coalition, expressed concern over what they said were the bill's negative consequences for small companies and the self-employed. Spain has had a 40-hour workweek since 1983, when it was reduced from 48 hours.
