Estabilidad laboral reforzada de prepensionados: una construcción desde el derecho constitucional ante la omisión legislativa en Colombia

Abstract

El presente articulo analizó la estabilidad laboral reforzada de las personas prepensionadas en Colombia como una garantía construida principalmente por la jurisprudencia constitucional ante la ausencia de regulación normativa expresa. Tuvo como objetivo examinar el desarrollo constitucional de los derechos fundamentales al trabajo y a la seguridad social de quienes se encuentran próximos a consolidar el derecho a la pensión de vejez, así como valorar las consecuencias jurídicas e institucionales de la omisión legislativa. La investigación se desarrolló con metodología cualitativa, diseño jurídico-documental, paradigma hermenéutico e interpretación de segundo orden sobre normas, proyectos legislativos, doctrina y sentencias relevantes de la Corte Constitucional. Se empleó un método inductivo, a partir del análisis de decisiones hito como la SU-897 de 2012 y la SU-003 de 2018. Los resultados evidenciaron que la Corte Constitucional diferenció el retén social de la estabilidad laboral reforzada de prepensionados, extendió su protección a trabajadores del sector público y privado y precisó criterios de procedencia vinculados con la expectativa pensional, el mínimo vital y la afectación desproporcionada causada por el despido. Se concluyó que la jurisprudencia ha garantizado materialmente esta protección, pero no sustituye la necesidad de una ley estatutaria o laboral que defina reglas claras, uniformes y compatibles con los estándares internacionales de trabajo decente, seguridad social, igualdad y protección frente a la discriminación por edadReinforced Job Stability for Pre-retirees: A Construction from Constitutional Law in the Face of Legislative Omission in Colombia” analyzes how jurisprudence has filled the absence of a regulation governing the protection of individuals who are close to retirement. The research was conducted following a qualitative methodology, under an interpretative paradigm, through the application of second-order hermeneutics, in the terms proposed by Dr. Óscar José Dueñas Ruiz, which allows for a critical interpretation of the content and scope of judicial decisions. Likewise, a purposive sample was used, according to the methodological approach of Dr. Simón Pedro Izcara Palacios, selecting relevant rulings of the Constitutional Court such as SU-897 of 2012, T-460 of 2017, and SU-003 of 2018, among others, which have consolidated the legal figure of the pre-retirees’ protection regime. This analysis is also supported by the contributions of Dr. Diego Eduardo López Medina, who highlights the importance of judicial precedent and the construction of jurisprudential lines, as well as by the theory of fundamental rights developed by Robert Alexy and the interpretative conception of law proposed by Ronald Dworkin, which recognize the active role of judges in the effective protection of fundamental rights. From a methodological perspective, the study employs an inductive method, through which particular jurisprudential cases are examined to identify interpretative patterns and build general conclusions about the evolution of the right to reinforced job stability for pre-retirees within the Colombian legal system. In this way, the research is not limited to describing isolated judicial decisions but seeks to demonstrate the existence of a coherent jurisprudential line that has transformed jurisprudence into a relevant source of normative production, contributing to the constitutionalizing of labor law and the strengthening of judicial precedent as a mechanism for guaranteeing fundamental rights in contexts of regulatory vacuum or legislative insufficiency. ESTABILIDAD LABORAL REFORZADA DE PREPENSIONADOS … 10 The study explains that, despite the mandates of Articles 25, 48, and 53 of the Constitution, Congress has failed to enact the Labor Statute, which has generated a regulatory vacuum that undermines human dignity and the principle of job stability. Consequently, the Constitutional Court has assumed a creative role, extending protection to public and private workers who are close to retirement. Finally, an analysis from the perspective of comparative law is conducted; the study reviews equivalent mechanisms in Civil Law countries such as Spain and Mexico, where age discrimination is prohibited and legal figures such as early retirement and preservation of rights are recognized, as well as in different legal systems such as Sharia or Islamic Law. It concludes that Colombia must harmonize its legislation with international trends such as those promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Inter-American System, legally establishing reinforced job stability as an effective guarantee of social justice and a dignified transition into old age.