Home » Legal developments » National legislation » Chile: widespread social unrest drives the unhindered passage through parliament of draft legislation lowering weekly working hours to 40 Chile: widespread social unrest drives the unhindered passage through parliament of draft legislation lowering weekly working hours to 40 Through . Published on 11 November 2019 à 11h12 - Update on 08 November 2019 à 18h40 Resources Draft legislation that sets the legal working week at 40 hours (down from 45 currently) is making its way through Chile’s Parliament (for more on the text and associated debate c.f. Article No. 11428). Following approval on 23 October 2019 by the opposition-led Chamber of Deputies of the principle of a reduction in working time, the Labor Committee had just unanimously validated the principle of gradually implementing the future legislation. SMEs (with annual revenues of under 75,000 Investment Units (Unidades de Fomento), or CLP 2,000 million (approximately €2.5 million)) will have five years within which to implement the law. Large companies will have one year. “Thanks to what is happening on our streets, even the right-wing parliamentarians and those who have vilified the draft voted in favor,” enthused one of the law’s authors, the Communist parliamentarian, Camila Vallejo, in reference to the large-scale ongoing social unrest that shows no sign of faltering and that has forced President Sebastián Piñera’s (liberal right) government to change tack. Thus the new Labor Minister, María José Zaldívar has affirmed a willingness to ‘seek a balance’ and ‘respond to society’s demand for more income and a better quality of life.’ The text, as well as its amendments over the gradual implementation principle now has to be approved by a full plenary Chamber of Deputies before advancing to its second reading in the Senate, which is also opposition-led. Need more info ? Contact mind's on-demand study service Which service do you want to contact :WritingCommercial serviceTechnical SupportFirst name Last name Organization Function email* Object of the message Your messageRGPD J’accepte la politique de confidentialité.NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Essentials Les dernières publications Supporting parenthood in the workplace: a win-win strategy Supporting employee carers: a CSR challenge Analyzes Les dernières publications Paternity leave: data observations from 41 countries EU: during H1 2022 five EU Member States have raised their minimum salary levels