The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order this Wednesday that removes labor protections from nearly 8,000 federal employees involved in developing and implementing public policy, a measure that will make it easier for the Administration to fire them.
The order, signed by Trump in the Oval Office, affects career workers who hold management positions, advise on drafting regulations, take part in decisions on federal grants, or perform other duties linked to the design of government policies.
What Trump says about this measure and which positions are at risk
The government argues that the measure responds to the obstacles that, in its view, Trump faced during his first term from career officials who resisted certain White House decisions, especially on legal and regulatory matters.
The positions now at risk are federal program directors, agency lawyers, or technical advisers whose contracts usually range around $200,000 a year.
Unions representing federal employees criticized the order and warned that it could open the door to politically motivated dismissals.
Their leaders argue that the measure weakens guarantees of professional independence in the civil service and erodes protection mechanisms against arbitrary decisions.
Until now, most of the workers affected by this change had been protected from discretionary dismissals, a prerogative traditionally reserved for political appointees designated by the president.
The Administration had estimated that up to 50,000 employees could eventually be affected by this policy.
Source: EFE.