Rural producers are concerned about the changes that the pension reform may bring that, if one of its considerations is not taken into account, it could lead several family agricultural companies to operate “in the black”, the president of the Federated Agrarian Cooperatives (CAF), Pablo Perdomo told Tardáguila Agromercados, and confirmed to The Observer.
Members of the Specialist Social Security Commission, a group with representatives of the Executive Branch, the opposition, workers and business chambers, informed several agricultural unions that the intention of the original reform was to equalize the employer contributions of rural workers to those of the Industry and Commerce sector, to which the producers opposed, Perdomo said.
The idea was that the contributions “matched up”commented, and highlighted: “instead of $2,856 that we contributed at that time, we could go to $18,000, which makes the business of family rural producers unviable and what would probably make the majority go black, does not mean that it will happen, but it is what we perceive”.
In addition to CAF, the National Association of Milk Producers (ANPL) and the National Commission for Rural Development met with the commission studying social security reform.
Commission for the rural worker
After several meetings, and the producers’ expression of disagreement with this change, From the Specialist Commission, the agricultural unions were informed that a special commission would be formed to specifically work on the contributions of rural workers.in which the unions would be represented.
According to what he said, from agriculture they accept that a reform must be given, because with the contributions that are made today “it is not possible to pay” the 20-year retirement, but they hope rural workers can be better contemplated.
Perdomo explained that of 46,000 workers in the agricultural sector, 39,000 are family producers“who are not salaried, they are workers who do not have Saturdays, Sundays, or overtime.”
Now the producers are waiting for the text to be sent to Parliament, to see if their request was considered. This Monday the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, will lead a meeting with the coalition leaders to adjust the last details of the project. Once the text is finalized, it is expected to be signed in the Council of Ministers, this coming Thursday, before sending it to Parliament.
According to President Lacalle Pou, the text of the preliminary draft received around 25 proposals for modifications.
CAF met with the president a few months ago and they hope to meet again before the end of the year, possibly in December, Perdomo said, this will be one of the issues they will discuss.
