Labor unions demand protections for healthcare workers in Honduras and Chile

In Honduras, Julia Benítez, president of the Professional College of Nursing, has expressed concern regarding delays in re-hiring processes and area transfers for healthcare workers. Despite meetings with the Ministry of Labor, Benítez reported that promised official documents to track these cases have not yet been issued. The delays are particularly pressing due to a three-month deadline for filing labor complaints. While some salary arrears have been addressed, several workers continue to wait for payments, and some from remote regions like La Mosquitia have had to travel to the Secretariat of Health to update documentation.

In Chile, the CONFUSAM union in Viña del Mar is demanding labor guarantees following the closure of the Municipal Corporation and the transfer of Primary Health Care to direct municipal administration. Union president Elizabeth Nelson criticized the lack of prior consultation regarding this transition, which Mayor Macarena Ripamonti stated had been planned for approximately five years. The union is seeking legally backed assurances that worker remunerations and benefits will be maintained and is reviewing the legal implications of the administrative shift.