Argentina’s lower house approves Milei-backed labor reform after tense session

By Ahmet Salih Alacaci and Gizem Nisa Demir

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Argentina’s lower house of Congress approved a sweeping labor reform bill early Friday backed by President Javier Milei, advancing a key piece of the government’s economic agenda despite fierce opposition protests and a national strike.

The bill passed the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina with 135 votes in favor and 115 against after hours of debate.

Because lawmakers introduced modifications, the legislation will now return to the Senate of Argentina for final approval.

The session unfolded amid a nationwide strike called by the country’s main labor federation, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), and a protest march by left-wing groups to Congress.

Clashes were reported near the legislative building, and several people were detained, local media said.

House Speaker Martin Menem hailed the vote as a historic step.

“This is not just another law,” Menem said in a post on social media. “Argentina begins to close a wound that had been open for decades.”

He described the measure as a modernization of the labor framework, arguing that the existing system had pushed millions into informal employment, discouraged hiring and turned formal work into a privilege.

“For years, every attempt at reform ran into the same interests that preferred to preserve their privileges rather than create jobs,” he added.

- ‘Savage bias against labor’

Senior government officials attended the session, including Presidential Secretary General Karina Milei, Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni, Interior Minister Diego Santilli and presidential official Eduardo “Lule” Menem.

Opposition lawmakers strongly criticized the reform, calling it harmful to workers and small businesses.

Victoria Tolosa Paz, a deputy from the Peronist bloc Union por la Patria, said the legislation represented “a regressive step” and would not improve conditions for informal workers.

“It goes against industry, production and workers, and it has a savage bias against labor,” she told the broadcaster Todo Noticias.

After the article-by-article vote concluded, Menem declared the bill approved with amendments and formally adjourned the session.

The labor reform is a central component of Milei’s broader economic overhaul, which aims to deregulate markets, reduce state intervention and encourage private-sector job creation.

The Senate will now decide whether to endorse the revised version and send it to the president for enactment.