On November 5, 2024, Municipal Worker’s Day will be celebrated for the second consecutive year at the national level. This date fills with enthusiasm the workers who carry out work activities. public cleaningcare of green areas, works and maintenance, citizen security, among others, given that they will have a day off.
Since 2023, workers have interrupted their activities on the established date, given that the law that recognizes them includes a non-working holiday that benefits them. Hours not worked are not compensated, unlike a non-working day.
The law that grants them this benefit was published in the newspaper The Peruvian on March 4, 2023, an event that filled municipal workers with joy and, especially, Congresswoman Isabel Cortez, author of Bill 638, which gave way to Law 31701.
Cortez Aguirre worked for more than 17 years as a public cleaning worker, without predicting that she would become involved in politics. However, her work as a worker was not limited to keeping the streets of Lima clean; She was also secretary of the Women’s Commission of the Workers’ Union of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (SITOMUN).
He obtained this position in 2015, a year in which the security service was still outsourced. cleaning public. Since that year, their efforts were focused on making cleaning workers part of the payroll of the Municipality of Lima, with the aim of guaranteeing safe employment for workers.
As is known, every time a worker was about to reach five consecutive years of service, they used to fire him to avoid being included on the payroll. The parliamentarian knows this reality well, not only because she heard the people’s outcry, but because she herself was a victim of this unfair practice in 2009.
Now, as a congressman, he continues to witness injustices, but from his position he seeks to improve the working conditions of workers. Proof of this is the bill that was presented in 2021, with the purpose of declaring Municipal Worker’s Day as a non-working date. From its proposal until it became law, a series of events occurred that deserve to be told.
Isabel Cortez participated in the extraordinary congressional elections of 2020 as a candidate for Together for Peru, occupying number 20 on the list. Although he did not win a seat on that occasion, he did not lose heart and continued his fight for labor rights. In the subsequent elections, he ran again with the same party, but this time with number 2.
A few months before the 2021 general elections, Cortez Aguirre presented his proposals, among which the declaration of Municipal Worker’s Day did not appear. At that time, its main slogans included eliminating labor outsourcing, CAS contracts and service rental contracts.
These were some of the proposals that accompanied her during her application. After being elected as a congresswoman, she undertook work aimed at benefiting the most disadvantaged, focusing on improving their working conditions and guaranteeing their rights.
While serving as president of the Labor Commission, presented Bill 638/2021-CR to declare November 5 of each year as Municipal Worker’s Dayestablishing it as a non-working holiday. This occurred in December 2021, during a session of the aforementioned commission. After the vote, the results were: six votes in favor, three against and one abstention.
It is necessary to point out that the bill of the congresswoman from Together for Peru did not contemplate the non-working day. But the legislator raised another benefit for employees.
Prior to its approval by majority, positions emerged for and against the project. Congresswoman Adriana Tudela (Avanza País) said that the vote on the initiative was hasty and that it should be consulted with business associations. Cortez Aguirre responded that queries had already been sent to entities such as Confiep and the National Industry Society, although they did not receive a response.
After this event, the opinion of the bill was debated in the Plenary Session of Congress. During the session, Isabel Cortez took the floor to support her legislative initiative.
“Among the considerations that support this initiative, we must take into account that article 195 of the Political Constitution of Peru states that: Local governments promote development and the local economy, and the presentation of public services of their responsibility in harmony with national and regional development policies and plans. This constitutional mandate would be impossible to carry out without the participation of municipal workers, who are the support for the application of local public policies and management,” he said.
After her intervention, dissident voices emerged that did not support the congresswoman’s initiative. Together for Peru. It should be noted that the replacement text presented by the legislator had the following title: “Law that declares November 5 of each year Municipal Worker’s Day and a non-working holiday for these workers.”
Aside from the nomenclature, it is worth noting that 30 congressmen voted against. One of them was Alejandro Cavero. “But I think that we must also have a little sense and responsibility, colleagues, because doing A holiday for each type of worker can open a box that will later be very difficult to close.. We have to be measured, not fall into populism,” he asserted.
Since the second vote on the bill was not exonerated, the congressmen had to vote in another plenary session. In February 2023, the debate was held, in which the number of dissenting votes decreased. After the vote, 93 votes were recorded in favor, eight against and thirteen abstentions. Thus, November 5 was declared Municipal Worker’s Day and a non-working holiday in his honor.
For it to be official, all that was needed was its publication in the newspaper El Peruano, which occurred on March 4, 2023.
“November 5 of each year is declared Municipal Worker’s Day, as a non-working day for workers who carry out this responsibility. The aforementioned day will be paid and considered as worked for all legal purposes.“, reads Law No. 31701.
Finally, the standard honors the effort and sacrifice of municipal workers, who contribute to the sustainability of cities throughout the country. In addition, it makes visible and highlights the importance of the work of workers in their different roles and responsibilities.
More information:
December
- Friday, December 6, 2024
- Monday, December 23, 2024
- Tuesday, December 24, 2024
- Monday, December 30, 2024
- Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
In Peru, holidays and non-working days are distinguished primarily by who is required to observe them and how workers are paid. A holiday is a mandatory rest date for all workers, such as July 28. During this day, the employee has the right to rest with full pay.
On the other hand, a non-working day is a measure that the government usually decrees exceptionally. In these cases, rest is not mandatory; It depends on the decision of each employer. Furthermore, if the worker rests, he must compensate those hours at another time.
