Chile reduces its working hours: which countries work the longest hours in Latin America?

First modification: 04/22/2023 – 22:01

Less is more. Gabriel Boric, president of Chile, promulgated the law to reduce the working week from 45 to 40 hours, an initiative branded as “historic” and “indispensable” and which was boxed in for six years under criticism from many sectors.

“Today is a historic day. Something that they told us was impossible for a long time came true, an act of voluntarism, just to complicate or to appear in the press. That these were things for Europe. That’s what they told us at that time. We are taking a tremendously important step on the road to well-being and a better quality of life for those who are the engine of Chile, its workers, and their families,” said the Chilean president.

Boric, whose social and economic reforms remain bogged down by the opposition and voter rejection of a new progressive Constitution, scores one of his first victories from the Executive: restoring, at least gradually, the time of workers in companies .

The new law obliges to work one hour less per week per year until the working week reaches 40 hours, leaving Chile on a par with most countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD.

The law was enacted thanks to dialogue and consensus with unions, employers and the public sector. In fact, several companies have announced that they will adopt the law, including the state copper giant Codelco.

“I hope that at the end of this four-year period, Chileans will live better, we will have more justice. We are going to continue advancing in that direction, for example, with the reform of pensions, taxes, security, health, and many other efforts where we need everyone’s help”, President Boric reiterated.

The Chilean Ministry of Labor affirmed that more than 4.7 million workers attached to the Labor Code will benefit. “The contribution made by the employers has also been enriching for the bill, which addresses the aspects of those workers who have ordinary, special and exceptional work hours. It seeks the effective rest of the workers, with the right to their salary and implementation gradual so that, with economic responsibility, we take care of employment”, added the Minister of Labor, Jeanette Jara.

Several small and medium-sized companies criticized the law. Their main argument is that they do not have the resources to hire more workers and replace the hours lost, although the regulations include financial incentives for those who adopt 40 hours before the five-year term established.

In this way, Chile becomes the third country in the region, after Ecuador and Venezuela, to convert the 40-hour week into a norm, but it is an exception in the region, where most countries have laws that estimate the working day at 48 hours.

With EFE and Reuters