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Argentine President Mauricio Macri made official on Monday his veto of the anti-layoffs bills passed by the Senate last week to confront a labor emergency while trade unions prepare to protest next week against his decision and against massive job losses suffered since the conservative government came to power.
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154,000 Argentine Workers Have Lost Their Jobs Under Macri
Macri has claimed that the anti-layoffs legislation, which would have blocked layoffs for 180 days, is “a law against Argentines.”
The official newsletter announcing the veto states that the government plans to focus on the “expansion of investment and economic growth” as well as “genuine job creation.”
“Instead of improving conditions to generate new jobs, the [anti-layoffs] bill analyzed here gives a limited proposal,” the veto argues. “The government’s priority is zero poverty, and the best way to achieve this objective is through the creation of more jobs.”
In the first five months of Macri’s administration, over 154,000 workers in the public and private sectors have lost their jobs amid a major push toward fiscal austerity. Meanwhile, the cost of basic services and utilities has skyrocketed.
Macri also made an implicit reference to former President Cristina Fernandez in his justification for vetoing the bill, pointing to her opposition to similar legislation in a different context.
Fernandez has criticized the mass firings under Macri’s government as an ideological, not just economic move.
The veto concludes saying that the government “desires and constantly seeks” to create dialogue in the name of reaching the “highest possible degree of consensus.”
Macri’s business-friendly government came to power on promises of improving the economy by ramping up foreign investment. He has promised to introduce tax breaks for businesses as part of his economic plan.
Meanwhile, labor unions are organizing to protest the veto and thousands of job losses in the first week of June. According to union leaders, there is not yet a consensus whether the action will be a work stoppage or full scale strike.
But worker representatives have promised a powerful response in protest, Prensa Latina reported. The details are expected to be finalized in the coming days ahead of protests and a likely national strike next week.
WATCH: Massive Layoffs Continue in Argentina
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