Petro's labour reform referendum suspended by Colombia's Council of State
The move on Wednesday comes after Petro last week bypassed legislative opposition and signed a decree summoning voters to the polls in August to decide on the labour reform.
The package includes provisions for an eight-hour daytime workday, higher weekend and holiday pay, and mandatory social security contributions from delivery app drivers – key social policies the left-wing leader has pushed for.
A majority of the social and economic reforms promised by Petro – who was elected in 2022 on pledges to right centuries of inequality in the Andean country – have been rejected by lawmakers.
The decree sparked criticism from the opposition, which argued that Petro's decree violates the Political Constitution of Colombia and destroys the separation of powers of the country's three branches of government.
Under Colombian law, the Senate must rule on the advisability of referendums. If the referendum were to be held, each measure would need to be approved by the majority of at least 13.5 million voters, a third of Colombia's electoral roll, to be valid.
Political opponents also said the costly referendum was really aimed at boosting Petro's party ahead of 2026 elections, when he cannot seek re-election.
Despite the failure to call a referendum, the Senate on Tuesday approved a revised version of the labour reform bill after extensive debate, with 57 votes in favour and 31 against.
The Senate previously rejected the reform bill in April, but it was revived after Petro warned he would declare a referendum to put the measure to a public vote.
The presidency dubbed the bill 'a historic step toward decent work' in a post on X shared by Petro.
Protests were recently held in the capital Bogota and other major cities by advocates of Petro, who expressed their support for his proposed labour reform.
Colombia is still reeling from bombing attacks in the southwest of the country that left seven dead and an attempted assassination on conservative opposition senator, and presidential hopeful, Miguel Uribe Turbay, which sparked fears the country could return to its darker days of assassinations and prolonged violence.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PAS snubbing Muhyiddin meeting? Tuan Ibrahim says Abdul Hadi merely fully booked
KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — PAS has reportedly played down the absence of president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang from a recent meeting chaired by Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin involving other Opposition parties. Malaysiakini quoted Abdul Hadi's deputy Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man saying the Marang MP had prior commitments and was unable to attend the meeting. 'Coincidentally, the president had to attend a programme which he was invited to much earlier,' he reportedly said. Tuan Ibrahim added that proposals discussed at the meeting would be brought up at the PN supreme council meeting for further deliberation. The reason why Abdul Hadi did not send a representative to the meeting remains unclear. Yesterday, PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden reportedly said he was not informed of the meting. He was quoted suggesting that the party's top leadership may have known about the meeting and expressed support for such engagements to unite the opposition. Despite that, Afnan said the meeting could have carried more weight if PAS leadership had been present and the Islamist party would likely have joined the meeting if they had been invited. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Muhyiddin had on Friday said he held a meeting with leaders of several opposition parties to discuss forming a coalition focused on national interests. Muhyiddin said the proposed coalition aims to provide a united opposition front and reinforce the check and balance function in and out of Parliament. PN component parties Gerakan and Malaysian Indian People's Party were present — but not PAS. Other parties represented included Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda), Parti Pejuang Tanahair, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), People's Progressive Party, Berjasa, United for the Rights of Malaysians Party (Urimai), and Malaysian Advancement Party.


Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Sen Ted Cruz's new legislation would allow federal prosecutors to pursue those who fund violent riots
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, explains his new legislation and how it will combat violent riots on 'Hannity.'


Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Senate takes first bipartisan step on government funding ahead of September shutdown cliff
The Senate cleared the first hurdle Tuesday toward passing a government funding bill meant to keep federal cash flowing for several federal agencies beyond September. The 90-8 vote was a major bipartisan overture in cross-party government funding talks strained by the GOP's partisan moves to cut and boost federal cash without Democratic buy-in, while President Donald Trump withholds billions of dollars more that Congress approved in bipartisan votes. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah was the only Republican to vote 'no,' joined by other Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Peter Welch of Vermont. Welch's fellow Vermonter, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, also opposed moving ahead with consideration of the package. But the bipartisanship is not guaranteed to last. Though Democrats helped overcome Tuesday's hurdle, they aren't committed yet to helping pass the bill, which will at the very least contain funding for the Department and Veterans Affairs and military construction projects. And as lawmakers stare down the Sept. 30 government shutdown cliff in just 10 weeks, fiscal conservatives and the White House are again calling for Republicans to abandon funding negotiations with Democrats. Ahead of the procedural vote Tuesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the Senate's veterans funding bill as containing 'some important steps to reverse a number of the awful cuts' posed by the Department of Government Efficiency and White House budget director Russ Vought. But Schumer also warned Republicans not to bank on automatically having Democratic votes to pass the bill, adding: 'We will see how the floor process evolves here on the floor. Given Republicans' recent actions undermining bipartisan appropriations, nothing is guaranteed.' The contents of the package are also still in flux. The measure will certainly contain funding for the VA and military construction projects, but Republicans also plan to add largely non-controversial funding for federal agriculture programs, the FDA and operations of Congress. 'I'd like to make it a package of bills, and get as many bills going as we can,' Majority Leader John Thune said in a brief interview, adding that there was a 'discussion' about what to do with more controversial funding for the Justice Department and FBI. Thune could get heat from his own members. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said in an interview he objected to leadership's desire to attach the agriculture and legislative branch spending bills to the pending package, saying he wanted to vote on each measure 'separately' and that the bill funding congressional operations would cost 'too much money.' On the other side of the aisle, Schumer is trying to hone the Democratic government funding strategy after caving to Republicans' strong-arm tactics in March. Democrats haven't settled on what their demands should be heading into September — and there are competing factions split over how hard the party should fight against even bipartisan funding bills in the wake of Republicans green-lighting Trump's $9 billion funding clawbacks package.