The administration of Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced on Tuesday that it has resurrected efforts to approve a bill that would shorten the nation’s working hours and carry out a campaign pledge.
Since being submitted in 2017 by then-lawmaker and current government spokesperson Camila Vallejo, the bill, which seeks to decrease the working week from 45 to 40 hours within five years, has stuck in Congress.
A clause in Chile’s constitution that compels parliamentarians to take up a bill when ordered by the president has been given “urgency” by Boric.
The bill’s revisions suggested by Boric’s administration, including one that extends the working-hour cut to employees in specific categories like public transportation drivers and domestic workers, will be debated by lawmakers.
At a ceremony held on Tuesday at the presidential palace, Boric declared that “these improvements are essential to bringing us closer to a new Chile, one that is fairer.”
The world’s top copper producer’s economy is slowing down and facing significant inflationary pressures following a quick post-pandemic recovery, and the center-left administration has encouraged engagement with unions, worker federations, and representatives from small, medium, and large businesses.
Boric stated that his government anticipated that both parliamentary houses will vote on and pass the law as quickly as feasible.
(with inputs from agencies)
