The waste continues without sparing resources. He Congress spent 72 million soles on bonuses for its 3,600 workers this month, due to an agreement with the Board of Directors and the Parliamentary Workers Union.
The workers of the Congress of the Republic They received a bonus of 20 thousand soles at the beginning of this year thanks to that agreement, signed when the congressman from Alianza Para el Progreso (APP), Alejandro Soto, performed as president of parliament.
“Congress will grant an Extraordinary Special Bonus for closing the Document, to be paid in the month of January of the years 2024 and 2025, of one (01) current Tax Tax Unit (UIT), in addition to those that have been received in each payment opportunity for the active staff of the Congress of the Republic,” says the document of the agreement between the Parliament union and the Board of Directors led by Apepista Soto.
In addition to the bonus of 20 thousand soles, the agreement increases an extraordinary monthly bonus by 200 soles and the remuneration scale by 15%, which implies that all workers’ salaries increased.
In dialogue with La República, Tulio Vizcarra, secretary of the Congressional Workers Union, confirmed that this bonus was delivered to all Legislative staff, including those in the Parliamentary Service and advisors with a position of trust.
In addition, he stressed that it is an agreement with his union that is renewed every two years. The last time it was ratified was with Alejandro Soto, from APP, at the head of the Board of Directors. However, Vizcarra assures that the bonus has been delivered since 2010.
The congressmen did not observe this agreement in this period.
The fujimorist Patricia Juárez, also a member of the Board of Directors of Parliament, confirmed the bonus and held the previous management responsible for the agreement.
“This bonus responds to a collective agreement that was signed two years ago, the only thing that corresponds to us is compliance with the agreements not negotiated by us, not agreed upon by us. Unfortunately we have to comply,” explained the congresswoman.
What Juárez does not say is that in the previous Board of Directors, Fuerza Popular also had the first vice presidency with his bench colleague Arturo Alegría and the late Hernando Guerra García.
This is not the first time Congress has granted bonuses. In November 2023, Fujimori Alegría acknowledged to this newspaper that the Board of Directors had approved a bonus of 2 UIT (9,900 soles) for all his workers, including parliamentarians.
It was a million-dollar expense of S/ 1,287,000.00 and that Congress allowed to recognize “overtime and accumulated work.”
Congressional bonus would not be legal, according to Ricardo Herrera
Labor lawyer Ricardo Herrera points out that the agreement could be illegal or even declared null, since what is stipulated in the document is irregular.
“Law 33188 says that the benefits agreed upon in a collective agreement do not apply to confidential or management personnel. However, this agreement says that it applies to all Congressional workers regardless of their employment status, which is why it could represent a conflict of interest (…) is against the law and therefore is an illegal aspect,” he explained.
