Argentine senators' salaries to exceed $12 million gross from August

Argentine senators are set to receive a significant pay raise, with their gross monthly salaries surpassing 12 million pesos starting in August. This increase, amounting to 6.64% in three installments, brings their annual income improvement to 19.97%, outpacing the 16.8% inflation rate.

The mechanism behind this raise is a controversial resolution passed in April 2024. This resolution linked senators' diets to the salaries of legislative employees, using a module system for calculation instead of a fixed sum. The module's value will increase to 3,065 pesos in August, resulting in a gross monthly income of 12,260,000 pesos for senators.

This income is distributed as 4,000 modules: 2,500 for their diet, 1,000 for representation expenses, and 500 for being away from their home region. The resolution also controversially included an unprecedented year-end bonus, often referred to as the "13th diet."

As is customary when salary agreements are reached in Congress, various political blocs have distanced themselves from the decision following public backlash. The ruling La Libertad Avanza bloc, along with the UCR and Pro blocs, previously expressed reservations about similar increases. Vice President Victoria Villarruel has consistently stated that the salary adjustments are not her decision but a result of legislative votes.