Chile's Labor Ministry urges safety measures and proposes flexible work reforms during emergency

Chile's Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Tomás Rau, together with the national director of Labour, David Oddó, called on workers and employers to protect life and health as a frontal weather system prompted a preventive state of emergency across ten regions. They reminded employers of the duty to suspend work when safety is threatened and assured that employees absent due to transport disruptions cannot be dismissed or have wages deducted.

In parallel, the government’s technical commission, led by Minister Rau, presented 22 recommendations aimed at increasing labour market flexibility. Proposals include allowing average work weeks of up to 52 hours, expanding grounds for dismissal, replacing traditional seniority severance with a universal unemployment‑insurance‑fund payout, and enabling hourly contracts and multifunctional roles. Critics argue the measures deepen neoliberal policies and could erode workers’ rights.