Chile advances new tourism labor statute amid broader labor reforms

The Chilean government introduced a draft Labor Statute for the tourism sector, aiming to modernise employment rules for an industry characterised by high seasonality. The proposal, presented by Tourism Sub‑Secretary María Paz Lagos and Labour Sub‑Secretary Gustavo Rosende, would allow flexible scheduling up to 52‑week cycles, increase the permissible number of consecutive Sundays, and strengthen compensation for overtime, without raising the annual average workweek or altering the legal maximum hours.

The measure targets the sector’s 32 % informal employment rate and 38 % job‑rotation rate, seeking to formalise more than 682 000 tourism jobs that account for 7.2 % of national employment. Officials said the statute will give both workers and employers greater certainty and help the industry become a stronger engine of economic development across Chile’s 16 regions.

The tourism proposal is part of a wider labour agenda promoted by Labour Minister Tomás Rau, who has advocated hourly contracts, averaged work cycles, and a special regime for tourism and gastronomy. Rau argues that recent increases in the minimum wage, reduced workweeks and pension reforms have made labour “too costly” for employers, and that flexible contracts are needed to “reactivate employment”.