On June 28, Argentina’s Congress approved the “Ley de Bases” bill. However, they removed sections that threatened the rights to social security and a decent standard of living for older people.
Background
On April 30, the National Lower House gave initial approval to the “Ley de Bases” proposal. This bill included the elimination of the “moratorium pension” in the Argentine pension system.
Without the moratorium pension, 90% of women and 70% of men would not be able to retire at ages 60 or 65. They would have to choose alternatives that do not cover basic needs. Official data shows that in 2023, eight out of 10 people who retired did so because of the moratorium pension.
Importance of the moratorium pension
The moratorium pension system allows people who didn’t contribute enough during their working lives or didn’t complete the required 30 years of contributions to receive full retirement benefits. They repay the amount owed with a monthly deduction from their pension.
This is crucial as over 47% of workers are in informal jobs. Workers in education, construction, and women doing unpaid domestic work would have been severely affected since they often don’t receive social security contributions from employers.
Protecting economic and social rights
The goal of the opposition was to prevent the elimination of the moratorium pension proposed in the original “Ley de Bases” bill. On June 28, Congress approved the bill, but the social security chapter was removed, keeping the moratorium pensions intact.
Argentina must avoid restricting access to economic and social rights. Even during economic crises, international standards require states to use all available resources to meet human rights obligations. Public policies should not be regressive and must not disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups.
NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.
