Tear gas, firebombs mar protests over government's labour reform

Police and security officers fired tear gas and used water cannon on Wednesday to disperse demonstrators outside Congress, who threw rocks and firebombs during debate over the government's labour reforms.

Thousands were protesting the Javier Milei government's bill that would make employment contracts more flexible, restrict the right to strike and make it cheaper to fire workers.

Milei argues that Argentine's current labour laws are too restrictive and dissuade employers from on-the-books hiring. Almost 40 percent of workers lack formal employment contracts.

But unions say the reforms erode workers' rights.

A group of protesters broke away from the main demonstration, which was peaceful, to throw rocks and other projectiles at police guarding Congress in central Buenos Aires.

The police responded by firing tear gas.

The bill, which Milei wants to fast-track through Congress during this month's extraordinary sessions, is the latest in a programme of reforms pushed by the self-described anarcho-capitalist president.

Since taking office in December 2023, Milei has slashed government employment, cutting tens of thousands of state jobs.

The labour reform bill reduces severance pay, allows payments in kind and restricts usage of vacation time, among other proposals that the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), Argentina's main umbrella union grouping, considers "regressive."

The Senate is expected to vote later Wednesday on the bill, after which it will be put to the lower Chamber of Deputies.

– TIMES/AFP