More than 3000 journalists have spoken out in defense of freedom of expression and to demand the removal of article 193 from the government's regressive labor reform bill, led by far-right leader Javier Milei. The ruling party has offered major media capitalists the repeal of the Journalist Statute to secure their support for the regressive labor reform. In this context, Senator Patricia Bullrich, through entities that bring together media editors from across the country, has summoned them to the Senate for next Wednesday. The Statute has been in effect since 1946 and includes several items historically contested by media outlets such as the ClarÃn and Perfil groups. These include the indemnity surcharge (generally calculated as ten extra salaries) and a 30-day probationary period, which is shorter than the 6-month period established in 2024 after the Bases law was passed, as well as certain worker categories. Thousands of female and male journalists expressed their rejection of the attempt to repeal the Statute through a published statement in Tiempo Argentino, which we share below: No to the repeal of the Professional Journalist Statute Journalists from different media outlets, with diverse views on the country's political and economic reality and with different labor situations, request the honorable members of the National Congress to reject the attempt to repeal the Professional Journalist Statute and the Administrative Employee of Press Companies Statute, which enshrine individual, professional, and collective rights. Its repeal would mean a serious setback for freedom of expression, the right to information, and the democratic quality of our country. We who sign this statement are open to any debate on labor standards in the press and have never objected to discussing their modernization in a democratic forum. But we firmly oppose a repeal without any debate in which those of us who practice journalism can participate. Signatories: [list of signatories].
