Milei's Work Reforms
On 12 February, Argentina’s Senate approved a Milei-backed labour reform bill allowing workdays of up to 12 hours under new flexibility mechanisms. While not yet law, it is widely expected to pass the lower house despite Peronist opposition. Predictably, parts of the left reacted with outrage, with some even describing the proposal as “slavery”. This ignores the simple reality that many workers already work 12-hour shifts or longer across both the public and private sectors. Crucially, the reform does not remove the 48-hour weekly limit. It merely allows hours to be condensed into longer days in exchange for more time off elsewhere — a practical, modern arrangement for sectors where workloads vary. The backlash says more about ideological hostility to deregulation than any genuine concern for workers. The economic results under Milei speak for themselves. Argentina has moved towards its first budget surplus in over a decade through spending discipline; inflation, which had spiralled ab...