The Labor Commission of the Congress of the Republic unanimously approved the creation of a new national holiday, dated June 21, in order to celebrate the “Andean New Year” in our country.
The new holiday, which must now be debated in the Plenary, comes at the initiative of Congressman Waldemar Cerrón Rojas, from the Perú Libre party. This is the 17th holiday in our country.
“The purpose of this law is to honor, preserve and highlight our cultural roots inherited by the Inca civilization; in addition, to recover the ancestral knowledge of the native peoples,” the document states.
Bill 7060/2023-CR modifies article 6 of Legislative Decree No. 713, through which the legislation on paid breaks for workers subject to the labor regime of private activity is consolidated.
With 46 holidays (16 weekdays and 30 weekdays), Peru is the country with the most breaks of this type in the region, even above Brazil’s 43. Lawyer Germán Lora, partner at Damma Legal Advisors, maintains that the device, which does not have a technical basis “beyond the ideological”, will make labor relations in our country more expensive.
“And add to this the public sector holidays, so we can expect them to be even less productive. In a year they can reach almost two months of not working, plus leaves and other benefits. There is no reason to boast about being the country with the most holidays,” he says.
In this sense, the labor activist mentions that, “taking into account the lack of seriousness” of his decisions, the Plenary of Congress could very easily adopt the June 21 holiday, although it will not reach the majority of Peruvians, who work informally.
“And the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE) will not give an opinion against a holiday as a benefit either, unless it is a more technical institution, but, unfortunately, they are governed by political criteria. So I don’t think they are against for a worker to have another holiday,” he said.
New holiday June 21: How many holidays are there in Peru?
Currently, Peru has 16 calendar holidays nationwide. The Peru Libre proposal would configure the seventeenth.
- New Year 1st of January)
- Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (two days, mobile)
- Labor Day (May 1)
- Battle of Arica and Flag Day (June 7)
- Saint Peter and Saint Paul (June 29)
- Commemoration of the heroic sacrifice of Captain Abelardo Quiñones Gonzales (July 23)
- National Holidays (two days, July 28 and 29)
- Battle of Junín (August 6)
- Saint Rose of Lima (August 30)
- Combat of Angamos (October 8)
- All Saints (November 1)
- Immaculate Conception (December 8)
- Battle of Ayacucho (December 9)
- Christmas of the Lord (December 25)
Source: Larepublica
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