Peru will observe a national public holiday on Wednesday, August 6, commemorating the Battle of Junin, one of the decisive engagements of South American independence.
The battle was fought in 1824 on the Junin plateau. The liberating army led by Simon Bolivar defeated Spanish forces in an encounter that significantly weakened Spanish rule in Peru. A further patriot victory at the Battle of Ayacucho, months later, consolidated independence.
Congress recognized the date's historical importance by adding August 6 to the country's official list of mandatory rest days through Law No. 31530, published in 2022. The legislation amended Article 6 of Legislative Decree 713 to include the date.
Who is entitled to rest and what happens if someone works?
Because August 6 is a national holiday, both public and private sector workers are entitled to paid rest under current labor rules.
Any private sector worker who works on the day without receiving a substitute rest day is entitled to additional pay at the surcharge rate established by law, meaning they must receive an extra day's wages on top of their regular pay for having worked on a national holiday.
