The Argentine government has announced a decision to limit the contracts of state employees over 65 years of age who lack the necessary contributions to retire. This measure has been condemned as "cruel and inhumane," as it leaves workers without a job, social security, and fundamentally, without the possibility of retiring. Currently, the government is pressuring workers with 29 years of service to choose between the PUAM program or the street.
The decision, made by the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, led by Federico Sturzenegger, would force these employees into the PreUniversal de Acceso a la Medicina (PUAM) program. Currently, this program is equivalent to 80% of the minimum retirement benefit and amounts to 279,443 Argentine pesos. While it includes health coverage through Pami, it does not grant the right to a death pension or the full benefits of a contributory retirement.
To renew these contracts, agencies will be required to present a mandatory notice of retirement for those with over 30 years of contributions to the pension system. Non-permanent employees represented 12.7% of the total workforce at the end of 2024, summing up to around 58,000, although that number has decreased due to the non-renewal of contracts. A portion of the workers affected by this measure does not meet the legal requirements for an ordinary retirement, which would leave them without employment and without the ability to make those contributions.
