The May Council begins with labor reform as the central focus of debate: the CGT joins the table

This Tuesday, thenational government will formally launch the May Council , the multisectoral forum that emerged from the Pact signed on July 9, 2024, in Tucumán . The main focus of its first meeting will be the discussion of labor reform, an issue the ruling party is seeking to establish strongly amid the economic crisis and rising unemployment.

The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. in the Salón de los Escudos (Hall of Shields) at the Casa Rosada. The meeting will be attended by Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos , who chairs the Council, and key representatives from various sectors. The meeting will include representatives from the Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, Federico Sturzenegger ; the governor of Mendoza , Alfredo Cornejo , representing the provinces; Martín Rapallini , representing the Argentine Industrial Union ( UIA ); and Gerardo Martínez , representing the General Confederation of Labor ( CGT ).

"I'm going to listen in this first stage," Cornejo assured, when asked about the agenda the provincial leaders will bring to the forum. On Monday, several governors met at the Federal Investment Council to demand payment of the funds withheld from the Fuel Tax and a more equitable distribution of National Treasury Contributions ( ATN ).

Although the government clarifies that the meeting will primarily serve to formally launch the Council, inside the Casa Rosada, they acknowledge the intention to move quickly forward with labor reform and also with a future tax reform. The ruling party considers both issues central to "unblocking" the Argentine labor market and encouraging investment.

The May Council was created by decree in July of last year, with the aim of meeting periodically and following up on the ten points agreed upon in the Tucumán Pact . These commitments include fiscal balance, a reduction in tax pressure, trade liberalization, pension reform, and the modernization of the education system.

Labor reform, in particular, is viewed by the executive branch as one of the major bottlenecks in the productive system. Argentine President Javier Milei has insisted that current labor laws discourage hiring and generate informality. The CGT, on the other hand, has stated that it will oppose any attempt to eliminate acquired rights or advance compensation.

Almost a year after the signing of the founding pact, the government is seeking to institutionally reactivate the May Council as a tool for dialogue, but also as a way to legitimize structural reforms. For now, those in the Casa Rosada admit that they don't expect concrete progress in Congress this year, but they trust that the public discussion will serve to prepare the political and social ground for 2026.