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Petro has repeatedly accused Congress of blocking his reforms
and last week issued a decree that called on Colombia’s
elections agency, the National Registrar, to organize a
referendum on labor laws.
The agency said Tuesday it would wait for Colombian courts to
decide if it was legal for it to organize the referendum,
because the Senate had voted against the referendum last month.
Petro has threatened to change Colombia’s constitution, by
calling for a constituent assembly, if his request for a
referendum on labor laws is not granted, and in a post on X
Tuesday, said that those who did not approve the referendum were
committing “treason."
Opposition leaders have accused the president of developing an
authoritarian streak, as he tries to override decisions made by
Congress.
The labor bill approved by Colombia’s Senate on Tuesday includes
many of the changes to Colombia's labor laws proposed by Petro's
party, the Historical Pact. It increases surcharges paid to
employees who work Sundays and also makes companies pay more for
late evening shifts, which is likely to apply to many retailers,
restaurants and hotels.
The bill also says delivery apps must formally hire delivery
workers as freelancers or as full-time employees and help to pay
for their health insurance.
Business associations in Colombia oppose the changes, arguing
they will raise the cost of employing people and could
ultimately increase unemployment.
Currently, 56% of Colombian workers labor with no contracts, in
what is known as the informal economy. Economists expect the
reforms to push more people into informality, while supporters
of the bill argue they are just pushing for the restoration of
rights workers had in the early 1990s, before Colombia began to
make labor laws more flexible.
The Senate and House of Representatives must now reconcile the
differences in the bills each chamber drafted and then agree on
a final version of the bill.
Petro wrote in a message on X that he will continue to push for
the referendum until legislators from both chambers have voted
on a final bill.
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