Argentina: government, companies and unions strike deal to maintain jobs in southern oil field Vaca Muerta, an agreement hailed as an example to follow by President Macri

Following lengthy negotiations and a period marked by strike action as well as dismissals, the Argentinian government and the oil sector trade union announced an unprecedented deal regarding the Vaca Muerta oil field. The oil field is located in the south of the country, close to the border with Chile, and contains oil and shale gas formations. The agreement, reached on 10 January, proposes state subsidies for more flexible working arrangements, boosting productivity and attracting sizeable investment from abroad. The centre-right president, Mauricio Macri, hailed the deal as a “true revolution” for labour and signalled his desire to extend the approach to other sectors.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

In the aftermath of the deal, the presidency said the deal “is the result of several months of responsible dialogue”, adding that the approach brought together entities from across the sector: YPF (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, a state-owned oil company), Total, Pan American Energy, Chevron, Shell and Dow. “[The groups] established an investment target of 10 billion dollars per year, the trade unions have committed to improving organisation and production to improve efficiency, and we the government – as well as the province of Neuquén – will commit resources to our roads and railways to improve logistics,” the presidency continues, underlining that “each party had to give up something to improve the overall situation, and the result is a success”.

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Spain: introduction of sick leave for menopause-related symptoms
The news. As of 1 December, female employees in Spain suffering from an incapacitating condition associated with menopausal symptoms will be eligible for specific sick leave, paid from the very...
Germany: Schaeffler cuts 3,460 jobs and requests temporary wage “solidarity contribution”
The news. On 3 November 2026, German automotive supplier Schaeffler announced a new “earnings improvement programme”, entailing the net reduction of 3,460 jobs in Europe by 2028 (2,660...
UK: government promises human rights due diligence bill
The news. On 4 November, the government promised, through Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds before the House of Lords, the statutory introduction of human rights due diligence in the UK. It...
5 November 2026
UK: new protection measures against “fire and rehire” postponed to March 2027 
On 22 October, the UK government announced the postponement of the coming into force of measures aimed at restricting "fire and rehire" and "redundancy and re-employment", provided for under the...
5 November 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
France: following the post-Covid boom, large companies scale back on remote working
In the post-pandemic context, large French groups multiplied generous remote working agreements before reversing the trend from 2024 onwards. What is the extent of this phenomenon? mind RH...
2
Germany: Employers’ representatives seek to limit the rights of works councils
The Employers' Federation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände - BDA) published a report at the end of September in which it proposes a...
3
France: Iliad structures its skills management around AI
The news. On 9 April, Iliad (11,600 employees in France), the parent company of telecoms operator Free, concluded an agreement on jobs and career path management with its representative trade...
4
France: National Assembly votes for mandatory bargaining on sexual and gender-based violence
The news. On 8 October, French MPs voted to extend the scope of mandatory annual negotiations to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In practice, in addition to pay, working hours and...
5
France: how CDC Habitat aims to better promote the expertise of its employees
The housing division of the French public group Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, CDC Habitat (10,800 employees), established new measures on skills in July. They are set out in two agreements...
6
France: La Poste strengthens regional management of jobs and skills
La Poste’s 2026-2028 agreement on the management of jobs, professional pathways and gender diversity in occupations puts the emphasis on supporting mobility and career changes, relying on a...