Work licenses: see what change the government proposes to make

At that meeting, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) presented a bill that proposes changes to the labor license regime and its division.

The initiative establishes that 10 days of the 20 days of statutory annual leave that a worker has must necessarily be taken continuously, and that the rest of the days can be used in fractions, with prior agreement between employer and worker.

That flexibility already exists today, and it is a widespread practice within labor relations, although the regulations establish the obligation to enjoy the annual license completely in a single continuous period.

The purpose of the proposal is to align the norm to use, explained the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Pablo Mieres in statements to the MTSS portal.

This bill will be sent to Parliament in the coming days. There will be two weeks for the representatives of employers and workers to make contributions on the subject if they deem it necessary.

Other measures

On the other hand, a draft referred to the ratification by the Uruguay’s International Labor Agreement 187referring to occupational health and safety as a fundamental right.

Besides, The MTSS presented the social partners with a draft decree, which proposes the distinction between the hours of workers assigned to union representation and those assigned to health and safety commissionsin such a way that they are first agreed by consensus between employer and worker, and that they are then considered differently.

“The government has all the powers to send the projects to Parliament and to issue the corresponding decrees, but what is established according to current regulations is the consultation of the social actors. Therefore, we are going to wait two weeks to receive the contributions of both workers and employers.(…) It is the will of the government to present these initiatives so that they become norms”, affirmed the labor hierarch.