We must build a concerted labor project based on mutual trust: Fenalco – Sectors – Economy

The possibility of the Government resubmitting a draft labor reformsas the Minister of Labor, Gloria Inés Ramírez, has made it known, it has the country’s merchants quite restless.

The reason, there are only four days left until the second legislature of 2023 begins and the Government has not called on any sector of production to discuss a new initiative, which is very unfortunate, according to Jaime Alberto Cabal, president of the National Federation of Merchants (Fenalco).

(Also read: Overview of labor and pension reforms: what to expect?)

Consider that it is essential that an initiative of this nature be coordinated with the productive sector and that allow to correct the failures that sank that first attempt.

But it would be more unfortunate, says the spokesman, if, given theThere are no signs of a search for agreement regarding the reformthe Executive ended up presenting the same project, with which it would be running the risk of it sinking again, since it was clear that the majority of parliamentarians were not convinced that this initiative would solve the structural problems that the country’s labor market has.

Everything indicates that the Government will insist in the legislature that is about to begin its labor reform. Have you sat down with the Minister of Labor to talk about the project?

When the labor reform collapsed, the Government said that it would present the project again on July 20, but it was never clear, nor has it been until now, about which project it presented, if the same one that collapsed, which would be, as they say. journalistically speaking, a rehash, or if a new one arises without arising to what we have been calling for from different sectors of the countryand it is that there is a true agreement and that the points of view of the academy are taken into account, the concerns that labor lawyers raised, the unions, institutions as serious as Fedesarrollo or the Bank of the Republic.

We have indicated that this is an opportunity to present a new concerted project, but unfortunately today we have not been called to participate in any scenario.

And they have met with the Legislature to reiterate their concerns…

At the initiative of the vice president of the House (of Representatives), we met with a group of parliamentarians to whom we gave an analysis of the Colombian labor outlook, because I think we have to make a new project starting from scratch.

But since July 20 is already upon us, we fear that there will not be a concerted project, but surely a project modifying some aspects than was presented in the last legislature.

It may sound somewhat obvious, but what risks does that possibility entail?

It is a risk that the Government must calculate very well. We start from that the country needs a labor reform because our labor regime is from the 50s, with slight modifications that occurred in 2002.

We need a labor reform that fights unemployment, that aims to solve the situation of the unemployed and the informal workers and not so much to improve the conditions of those who have jobs today.

So, The Government will have to measure the risk that the same project will sink again Or if he rather waits for the next legislature to present a truly concerted initiative, of course, it wouldn’t be this year.

(Also read: Working hours: everything you need to know about your reduction)

If you realize that remote possibility of postponing the filing of the initiative or even if it is presented, what should be corrected?

This is very important, because one thing is the conditions and requirements under which a new reform project and other concrete proposals must be made to combat unemployment and informality.

First of all, we We insist on the need for it to be a concerted projectthat the Government eliminate this narrative that divides employers and workers, because they both need each other, we are all in the same boat.

Another requirement is that the focus is the generation of employment and the fight against informalityputting young people, entrepreneurship and new business models in the world first.

It is also key that the project is aimed at teachers, to combat the high unemployment rates of young people and women; that there is a concurrence of the State, because all the effort of the labor costs that the reform that sank sought were in charge of the business community, the State did not put its hand in the denim.

Does it mean more monetary commitment from the State?

Here was a very interesting example of how it can be built with a joint effort. In a pandemic, the payroll subsidy was created, with in which the businessmen put a part and the State the same to create or maintain jobs, this undoubtedly requires the effort of state resources.

But there is one last requirement and it is that in this process there is respect for the concepts and statistics of the different actors. It is essential to build a project on mutual trust, which was what did not happen with the previous project.

What do you expect from a new project?

First of all, hopefully the three main pillars of the previous initiative will be eliminated: increasing labor costs, move towards rigidity in labor contracting and deepen collective and union rights. If that approach is maintained, it is very difficult to have a collective vision of a project.

And, in that sense, what do you propose a change to the Government?

Make the form of hiring more flexible without making the hiring process more precarious, so that more unemployed fit into the labor market, encourage the formalization of workers and so that many young people can fit into the opportunities offered by the labor market and the new business models.

In other words, allow hiring with all its part-time job benefits, that one person can work on several parts however, be an entrepreneur.

That jobs adjust to the schedule and availability needs of the new generations. Also special work days for cities and reduce the burdens on the infrastructure of services and transportation.

This has to do with the night shift for certain sectors…

Here there has always been talk of Bogotá at night to decongest the city, but a Bogotá at night cannot exist if labor costs rise, the charges for infrastructure and transportation costs.

What other issues does this ideal reform have?

The other thing that we are proposing so that workers have better conditions is benefits were established for meeting objectives with rates agreed with the companies, without it becoming forced to reduce the working day, increase the cost of Sundays and holidays.

In the end, if the objectives are met, workers will receive agreed benefitsIt is a way of compensating without making night work mandatory, for example.

In the previous project you criticized the union taxes…

Yes, that is why I think it is necessary for collective negotiations to be alien to political interests with specific agreements for better working conditions, which we agree with, and without affecting the productivity and competitiveness of companies.

But, in addition, that the collective agreements of large companies do not cover MSMEs, as was proposed in the previous reform. That there be state exemptions and incentives for the generation of new jobsjob stability and hiring apprentices from the SENA, that is, that the cost of putting the apprentices on the payroll, which is not a bad idea, be shared with the State, as I mentioned before, and that the companies that promote the recreation of Social tourism, through compensation funds, will have some type of incentive, for example, tax discounts.

(Also read: This is how the unions see the collapse of the labor reform)

And in terms of labor formalization…

I think that in this the example should come from the State itself, that it be the first to formalize, and in some way generate that the contracts for the provision of services and short defined terms become labor contracts on the payroll.

we also want there is greater clarity in recognizing the differences between working at homeremote work and teleworking, in the public and private sectors, and that there be incentives for these forms of work.

How to ensure that these proposals sink in the Government?

Through public forums, sensitize public opinion with the debates carried out by Congress and the public hearings, which should not only be in Bogotá, but should be taken to the regions, because it is necessary to know the needs of the people in each of those territories, which are very different from each other.

Also making a very special call to the Government to ideological bias on reform is eliminated and it is rather analyzed that if it is doing well in the generation of employment, then the country wins, and if the country is doing well, the Government is doing well.

So, I think that this process of sensitivity has to take place and it seems to me very premature that the Government the fight to present a project is given again on July 20 without a consultation.

ECONOMY AND BUSINESS