A second consecutive attempt to reach a quorum in the Asunción Municipal Council, the city’s legislative body, failed on Thursday, September 24, preventing the new collective agreement for municipal employees from formally being placed on the agenda for consideration. The repeated absence of council members led employees to occupy service areas, Accounting and Revenue offices at City Hall and later stage a temporary blockade on Mariscal López Avenue.
Without a quorum, the council neither deliberated on nor approved or rejected the agreement. The dispute also concerns how it will be handled: the opposition fears the text could be approved without detailed review and questions the timing of the discussion, just before the municipal elections. The unions are demanding an extraordinary session; Gladys Galeano, a union leader, called for one to be convened.
The agreement was signed on September 18 by Mayor Luis Bello and representatives of SITRAMA, SINOEMA and SIMUCA. The proposal updates the Collective Agreement on Working Conditions and provides for changes to benefits, including bonuses tied to seniority and professional training, as well as compensation for employees who retire. The Municipality says the agreement aims to bring working conditions into line with Law No. 7,445/2025 on public functions and the civil service.
Other union sectors say they were excluded from the negotiations and question the financial impact of the commitments. The opposition is also asking for more time to examine the costs. The unions argue that the agreement would protect employees in the event of a change in municipal administration.
A workers’ representative announced that, if council members do not attend to hold the session, the movement could close the municipal headquarters and launch a general strike. Demonstrators demanded a new session as soon as Friday, September 25, and threatened to maintain the work stoppage indefinitely until the agreement is accepted for consideration. The protest interrupted services and temporarily made it difficult for people inside the building to leave; employees later took their protest to the avenue.
Municipal elections are scheduled for October 4, according to some sources; others say the episode took place just ten days before the vote. The standoff is therefore unfolding in the final stretch of the campaign, while repeated quorum failures keep the agreement from formal consideration by the council.