They ask to approve a law that seeks to include snacks within the working day: how long would this benefit be given?

A year and a half has passed since the Bill 671/2021-CR, which seeks to include snacks within the working day. The initiative led by legislator Isabel Cortez was approved in the Work Commission on December 17, 2021 and, to date, it has not been prioritized for debate in the Plenary of the Congress.

In this regard, the parliamentarian of Cambio Democrático – Together for Peru urged this Thursday, June 15, through her social networks, the immediate approval of her project in the face of permanent delay. In response, unions like Sinutdema, Sitomun and Sitobur they reacted to demand the same.

In the case of Workers Union of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, they stated that they must continue fighting against job insecurity and for more workers’ rights. “From the Municipality of Lima, the municipal workers give him all our backing and support,” they said.

Meanwhile, the Unified National Union of Workers of Derrama Magisterial maintained that this bill should be supported to enjoy a better quality of family life.

What does the law of the snack raise?

The purpose of the initiative is to modify article 7 of the Consolidated Text of Legislative Decree 854, “Law on working hours, hours and overtime work”, in order to establish that the break time is part of the workday.

According to the current regulations, the time that is allocated to snacks is not part of the working day and schedule, which which implies that the employee has to stay longer than 8 hours in their work centers. “This is based on the economic assumption that the period in which the worker refrigerates does not produce or provide service, which does not benefit the employer,” criticizes the proposal.

The measure seeks to include that time, which is normally a minimum of 45 minutes. “Snacks must be understood not only as a worker’s right, but also as part of the business interest, since fatigue and tiredness negatively affect people’s work,” reads the initiative.

Law of the refreshment: which workers would it reach?

Legislator Cortez, author of the PL, previously indicated that the law seeks to apply it to all workers who work full-time, understanding with this that they require a space for their snacks and, therefore, it has to be a right.

Given that the opinion proposes to modify the Legislative Decree 854the project would seek to include male and female workers of legal age, with the exception of special regimes that are based on their own parameters.