In an exclusive interview on Infobae live, Gustavo Weiss, president of the Argentine Chamber of Construction, firmly defended the sector’s position in the face of the recent statements by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo. “The sector, particularly the G6, has been emphatic in defending not only the approval of the law, but also in the May Council,” said Weiss, referring to the parliamentary treatment of the labor reform promoted by Javier Milei’s government.
During his participation in the Infobae al Regreso cycle, where he spoke with Gonzalo Aziz and the staff made up of Diego Iglesias, Malena de los Ríos, MatíasBarbería and Mica Mendelevich, Weiss highlighted the support of the business community for the medium sanction obtained in the Senate: “We were proactive in the treatment of the law, we made a series of suggestions and we have always supported the law.”In that sense, he clarified that although “it may be that we have not specifically said about the reduction of employer charges for first jobs,” from the Chamber “we fervently support the labor reform.”
When asked about Caputo’s questions, Weiss remarked: “What the minister says is that we did not put special emphasis on reducing employer burdens for first jobs. Well, it may be that there were omissions in that sense. No, I’m not saying no, but I mean that the business community, very largely, supported the sanction of the law, the half-sanction of the law. And we will continue to support the Deputies, without a doubt.”
Weiss, who represents one of the sectors most affected by the recession and fiscal adjustment, explained the context in which the Chamber maintains its position: “The Government has privileged fiscal adjustment, zero deficit over other expenditures, and one of those that has suffered has been investment in public infrastructure.”
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During the exchange, the Infobae al Regreso staff introduced the debate on medical licenses and work absenteeism in construction.Weiss said: “I think it is an issue that of course must be discussed and analyzed. Social sensitivity means that we must respect those who really have the disease and cannot be left unprotected with respect to receiving their full salary.”
However, he warned about abuses: “There are many abuses in medical certificates. It seems to me that it is an issue that must be analyzed deeply, but starting from the basis that we must respect all those who really have the disease.”And he explained: “I don’t know if the medical certificates are totally apocryphal or if many doctors tend to be complacent in the face of certain statements of illness,” exemplifying cases of psychiatric ailments or contractures.
Weiss differentiated between the problems of unjustified absences and leaves that require medical certification: “One issue is a medical leave that requires a medical certificate and behind it there is an illness, whether it is strictly true or not, that is one issue. Another issue is absences, late arrivals.”
The interview allowed Weiss to delve deeper into the structural causes of the construction crisis: “The almost absolute absence of public investment in infrastructure” and the lack of long-term mortgage loans were pointed out as the main factors explaining the fall of the sector. “As long as there are no long-term mortgage loans, 20, 30 years, there will not be mortgage loans in sufficient volume and, in our opinion, the housing construction industry will continue to slow down.”
Asked about the possible effects of the new labor law, Weiss was categorical: “What this is going to do is serve two things. On the one hand, the enormous informal labor market is susceptible to the fact that with this law some can move into formality. The second point is that when the economy grows, it is the only way to create employment, it is not with a new law, but for the economy to grow.”From the Chamber, the commitment remains: “We will continue to support Deputies, without a doubt.”
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