Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti reacts after senators voted against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, left, and Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino gesture during a discussion on a referendum proposal on labor reform, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Opposition Senators Paloma Valencia, left, and Maria Fernanda Cabal celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti reacts after senators voted against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, left, and Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino gesture during a discussion on a referendum proposal on labor reform, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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Opposition Senators Paloma Valencia, left, and Maria Fernanda Cabal celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Lawmakers in Colombia on Wednesday once again blocked President Gustavo Petro's efforts to overhaul the country’s labor laws, this time by rejecting a referendum that would have asked voters whether workdays should be limited to eight hours and whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays.
Petro asked Congress earlier this month to approve the 12-question referendum to give voters a chance to that lawmakers themselves had already rejected twice. He had warned lawmakers against blocking the referendum, saying before thousands of people gathered for a Labor Day demonstration on May 1 that if they did not approve it, Colombians would punish them at the polls during the 2026 legislative elections.
After an intense debate Wednesday, 49 senators voted against the measure and 47 in favor.
Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, characterized the vote as fraudulent. He has and ignoring the demands of Colombians.
Had lawmakers approved the referendum, voters would have answered questions such as whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m. and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability.
In a rarely used maneuver, a group of congressmen on Wednesday successfully appealed the March dismissal of Petro's proposed labor reform. The move allows lawmakers to again debate his proposals and potentially approve them. Lawmakers face a June 20 deadline to do so.
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