Peru's top court says drunk workers can't be fired

Workers in Peru who turn up drunk in the morning cannot be fired, the country's top court has ruled.

The Constitutional Tribunal made the historic ruling in the case of a caretaker in the district of Chorrillos. Pablo Cayo was given the sack for being intoxicated at work, but his employer has now been ordered to give him his job back.

Fernando Calle, one of the justices at the court, said that although Mr Cayo was drunk, he did not offend or hurt anybody.

The ruling has been attacked by the government for setting a dangerous precedent. "It's not a good idea to relax rules at workplaces," said labour Minister Jorge Villasante.

Celso Becerra, the administrative chief of Chorrillos, a suburb of Lima, also denounced the ruling. "We've fired four workers for showing up drunk, and two of them were drivers," he said. "How can we allow a drunk to work who might run somebody over?"

However, Mr Calle said the court would not revise its decision.