In the Senate, the proposal received 59 yes votes, and 16 no votes; likewise, in the House of Representatives the yeses mounted to 126 and the no ones barely two, with the opposition parties Centro Democratico and Cambio Radical absent from the process.

After the Senate approved the initiative, it was necessary to carry out a reconciliation process with the text previously approved by the House of Representatives. This resulted in the unification of both texts and was put to a vote by the members of Congress.

The content of the bill comprises 70 articles, and the demands defined by the government as red lines, or those on which it had promised not to compromise, were largely respected.

Thus, the partial or hourly contract, previously described by President Gustavo Petro as a form of neo-slavery, was cut off.

Likewise, legislators approved overtime pay starting at 7:00 p.m. Sunday workdays will be 100 percent for all companies, although this bonus will be gradually implemented starting at 75 percent.

The maximum legal working hours was set at eight per day and 42 hours per week, with the flexibility to distribute it over five or six days. An employment contract was established for members of the National Apprenticeship Service.

On the other hand, the Sunday and holiday surcharge increased to 100 percent of the regular salary, being implemented gradually: 80 percent starting in July 2025, 90 percent in 2026, and 100 percent in 2027.

The Ministry of Labor celebrated the event, calling it a historic move forward that guarantees decent, dignified employment with rights for millions of Colombians. For it to become law, all that remains is for President Gustavo Petro to sign it.

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