New Bill Expanding Collective Bargaining Rights for Workers and Businesses by Sector Introduced in Congress

Original article: Proyecto que amplía derecho a negociar colectivamente a trabajadores y empresas por sector o subsector inició su trámite en la Cámara

The Minister of Labor, Giorgio Boccardo, attended the Chamber’s Labor Commission to present the rationale behind a bill initiated by the government, which aims to expand the right to negotiate collectively for workers and businesses within specific sectors or subsectors of the economy.

According to the legislative bulletin from the Chamber, Minister Boccardo stated that the initiative «addresses a historical demand from the labor community and is part of President Gabriel Boric’s government program.»

Among the project’s objectives, the minister highlighted several key points: «Returning negotiating power regarding special working hours to organizations; expanding the negotiation scope to encompass all workers through sectoral agreements; and activating negotiation levels that have been underutilized, such as those in intermediate agreements between contractors and suppliers in sectors like mining or forestry.»

Additionally, the proposal aims to provide «greater coherence in negotiation processes by reducing union fragmentation and the proliferation of parallel processes; ensuring continuity in negotiations at the enterprise level; linking labor improvements with productivity and innovation through tax incentives; and aligning with public policies such as skills certification or productive promotion.»

In this context, the Labor Minister elaborated on the project’s scope concerning the recognition of the right to negotiate collectively and in coordination at the sectoral, intermediate, and enterprise levels.

The bill specifies that the sectoral level will aim to establish general regulations that set minimum standards applicable to employers and workers in a given sector or subsector of economic activity.

The intermediate level, through the signing of framework agreements, will set common conditions for specific economic contexts such as projects, production processes, or shared value chains among various employers.

Finally, enterprise-level negotiations will seek to regulate specific working conditions according to the unique production and operational realities of each employer.

«Moreover, the requirements for initiating negotiations and the parties that can participate are specified,» the Chamber’s bulletin notes.

The law also establishes a tax benefit allowing companies participating in a sector with a valid agreement to preferentially access benefits under Law 20.241, which promotes innovation and development.

«In this regard, contracts for research and development between a research center and two or more companies within a sector or subsector that have signed a collective agreement will have access to a tax credit of up to 45,000 UTM. The current limit is 15,000 UTM,» the text states.

For the complete project, visit HERE.

El Ciudadano