Minister Javiera Blanco at CUT Labor Day ceremony: “By now everyone understands that citizens demand labor law reform”
Labor and Social Welfare Minister Javiera Blanco, accompanied by undersecretaries Francisco Javier Díaz and Marcos Barraza, participated in the event organized by Chile’s largest trade union, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (Workers United Center, known as the CUT). In her speech, Minister Blanco highlighted the progress of a bill to modernize the labor relations system in Chile that is expected to be approved by August 31.
Referring to a speech given by CUT President Bárbara Figueroa, Minister Blanco said, “We will use the good ideas to improve the bill that is presently in Congress. There are two opportunities or visions of the labor law reform: Those who want to stop the process of change and those who want to help enhance the initiative.”
Minister Blanco said the bill will continue to be debated on Monday in the lower house of Congress, emphasizing that “we expect Congress to dispatch the bill by August 31.”
“By now, everyone understands citizens are demanding this. I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to avoid discussing these issues. If we talk about dignity in employment, improving salaries, training, working environments, some may feel that these are ideological issues. But there is only one objective: We want quality jobs and therefore we are doing everything that needs to be done in Congress”, she explained.
Referring to criticism of the labor reform bill, she noted that “in a democracy, opinions can be expressed in different ways, but with a single purpose: to improve employment.”
She explained that numerous pledges were made at the start of President Bachelet’s administration, many of which “we have fulfilled. As a ministry, we have already had 17 bills approved, changing lives for the better. And the employment reform is our major challenge.”
Also present at the ceremony were members of Congress Carlos Montes, Lautaro Carmona, Osvaldo Andrade, Tucapel Jiménez and Ricardo Rincón; Regional Labor Secretary (SEREMI) for the Santiago Metropolitan Region, María Eugenia Puelma; Labor Office Director Christian Melis; Social Welfare Institute Director Patricio Coronado; Labor Security Institute Director Jaccob Sandoval; and the Director of the Pledge Loans Office, Luis Acevedo.