Congress Approves Correa's Reform to Protect Workers' Rights

Ecuador's Congress on Thursday passed a package of structural reforms sent by President Rafael Correa aimed at improving the working conditions of employees across the country.

With 88 votes in favor and 33 against, the country’s lawmakers passed the new laboral measures that among other things will regulate working hours and also provide all workers with unemployment insurance.

The head of the National Assembly's labor commission said that the Ministry of Labor will ask companies in financial crises to adjust to an austerity plan in exchange of not laying off any of their staff. The austeriy plan calls for reduced working hours instead of layoffs, and extra maternity or paternity leave and changes in the Internship Law.

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This new law has been rejected by the right-wing opposition who launched a campaign to misinform workers in an attempt to pose them against the government. But Minister of Labor Bernardo Berrezueta insisted that here will be no cuts to salaries nor increased working hours. He state clarified that “these are not neoliberal policies."

Like the majority of commodity countries in the region, Ecuador has been affected by the collpase in oil prices prompting Correa to take measures to protect workers.

The legislation will also benefit 170,000 young people who are attempting to get their first job, Correa said, adding that those who oppose the measure also oppose defending the rights of workers.