In the debate, of the week, several voices think about the so -called “popular consultation” of the president, Gustavo Petro. Since Congress did not approve the head of state its labor reform, the president seeks to impose it through these questions so that people go to the polls and make a decision.
The issue is that, on the one hand, the Senate has to approve this questionnaire. On the other hand, there is the debate regarding whether the result of this eventual consultation is binding or not for Congress, that is, whether or not, taking into account that Congress has already once said that no and now the president seeks to approve it through what he calls “the people.”
“Who said that the consultation is not binding? The consultation forces in less than six months to approve as laws approved by the people, and if Congress does not approve them, the president is empowered to approve them by decree,” Petro said through his account in X.
Similarly, the questions point to an ideal space for anyone, a majority yes, but without taking into account adverse effects in terms of jobs, productivity and possible actions of an employer if this is approved. In fact, this consultation does not take into account the adverse effects noted by congressmen who did not support labor reform and sank it in the legislative.
In the debate, of the week, Carolina Arbeláez, representative to the Chamber for the Radical Change Party; Heraclitus Landinez, representative to the Chamber for the historical pact; Alejandro Carlos Chacón, senator of the Liberal Party and Andrés Forero, representative to the Chamber for the Democratic Center, said about the questions of said consultation.
“In my opinion this is a political game of President Petro. He is trying to advance the 2026 elections and it costs us about $ 700 billion to Colombians,” he added, referring to that The president of Colombia has so little to show in his management that he resorts to this populist resource.
“I worry that the president says that the consultation is going independent of what the Senate says. The president is in a deinstitutionalization plan and already showed that a judicial decision is willing to pass through the girdle,” he added.
In contrast, Landinez, related to the government of President Petro, said: “Popular consultation is a mechanism of direct participation of citizens, it is the most democratic there is. We cannot fear a democratic mechanism, to the opinion of Colombians.”
See the complete debate here:
- 1. Do you agree that the day work lasts maximum 8 hours and is between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm?
- 2. Do you agree with a 100 % surcharge work on Sunday or festive rest day?
- 3. Do you agree that micro, small and medium -sized preferably associative productive companies receive preferential and incentive rates for their productive projects?
- 4. Do you agree that people may have the necessary permits to address medical treatments and licenses for disabling menstrual periods?
- 5. Do you agree that companies must hire at least two people with disabilities for every 100 workers?
- 6. Do you agree that young apprentices of SENA and similar institutions have a employment contract?
- 7. Do you agree that working people on distribution platforms agree their type of contract and are guaranteed social security payment?
- 8. Do you agree with establishing a special labor regime so that field entrepreneurs guarantee labor rights and just salary to agricultural workers?
- 9. Do you agree to eliminate outsourcing and labor intermediation through union contracts that violate labor rights?
- 10. Do you agree that domestic workers, community mothers, journalists, athletes, artists, drivers, among other informal workers, are formalized or have access to social security?
- 11. Do you agree to promote job stability through indefinite term contracts as a general rule?
- 12. Do you agree to constitute a special fund for the recognition of a pension bonus for peasants and peasants?
