Publications

Pazos, N.
Training participation in Chile

Montevideo: Cinterfor/ILO, 2004
106 pp. (Contributions to Social Dialogue and Training, 11)

ISBN 92-9088-172-0

 

(Full text only available in Spanish pdf format)

 

Background

Globalisation has had a great impact on several aspects of the life of people and organisations. In fact, this phenomenon has completely changed the way in which enterprises relate among themselves, the structure and organisation of different markets and how people get educated and work. Regarding the labour market, people are very likely to have high mobility and to change functions very often throughout their lives.

From the economic point of view, the most visible effect is the opening of markets which has brought about the elimination or flexibility of obstacles to the exchange of products and various services, thus causing an amazing growth in the world's trade.

From the point of view of the labour market, employment is increasing within the service sector as well as a demand for higher levels of schooling for most of the jobs, good command of the mother tongue (and, possibly, of a second language) and for IT literacy. This means that the structure of employment and the contents of occupations change and they generate requirements of new competencies and skills, and training for unstable labour paths.

Concerning human resources training, new attention is given to training in a series of competencies - which are not necessarily associated with the job's performance. Such is the case of basic and cross-cutting skills that people need to access a job or to easily move within a changing working environment. As a consequence, long-life learning is nowadays' trend for the development of people's skills.

On the other hand, the mass use of information and communication technologies has caused major changes regarding the accumulation of knowledge, the access to information, benefits and various services. This arises the need to create facilities and equal opportunities for the population to incorporate these new technologies as well as to develop the abilities to choose and distinguish such information in a significant and relevant way.

In this context, one of the main challenges posed by the new world scenario is the need to build up a new model of industrial relations, "by changing the confrontation paradigm which has characterised the interaction between employers and workers into a new one based upon mutual respect and collaboration in order to achieve the same common goals".

The return to democracy at the beginning of the nineties was particularly important in the appreciation of social dialogue and concertation as a conflict-resolution mechanism at various levels of the Chilean society. Regarding the labour aspect, bipartism is privileged within the enterprise and non-standardised tripartite agreements are promoted at a political level.

As the Minister of Labour and Social Security says, "the abilities to articulate and to maintain social dialogue within enterprises are crucial aspects in the struggle for new markets. We believe it is necessary to advance towards a more modern labour relations system, based more upon a balanced dialogue between the parties than a dialogue with the State's intervention. Therefore, we will systematically promote social dialogue. We are convinced that, though it may seem difficult, this is the most efficient method to achieve long-lasting grounds that ensure democratic labour relations".

After all, in order to obtain specific actions, the actors of such social dialogue - entrepreneurs, workers and the government -, must be effectively willing to work as a team and sharing at least a similar vision of the aims to be fulfilled and mutual legitimacy and acknowledgement.
In order to plan an agenda in common it is essential to count on strong, dynamic partners who can easily give responses. However, this condition has not always been available in all actors of social dialogue or it has not been developed in the same way in all of them. This situation may therefore threaten the required balance and trust for an equal participation and dialogue with mutual legitimacy.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. BACKGROUND
II. TRADE UNIONS FORMATION AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

1. Mutual benefit associations and the change of purposes of workers' organisations

2. Constitutional references

3. Labour standards

Labour legislation in democracy

Training subjects regulated by the Labour Code

III. TRAINING SYSTEM

1. From an offer to a demand system

National Training and Employment Service, SENCE

Instruments for training financing

Minimum tax exemption for training

Focus incentive

2. Amendments to the training system

Institutions and Programmes created by Law nº 19.518 (1997)

Training Contract

Post contract training

Direct subsidy for training

Concertation and participation

The National Service and Regional Training Services

Bipartite Training Commissions

Amendments introduced by Law nº 19.765, dated 2001

Trade union leaders' training

Training for a job and training "for work"

IV. STATE WORKERS AND TRAINING

V. OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL DIALOGUE

Tripartite Commission for Equal Opportunities between Men and Women at Work

Productive Development National Forum

Pro-Growth Agenda

VI. CONCLUSIONS

REGULATIONS ANNEX

I. Law nº 19.518 (1997) with the amendments introduced by Law nº 19.765 (2001)

II. Labour Code

III. Decree nº 98 (Labour)

 

 

The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (ILO/Cinterfor)
Avda. Uruguay 1238 - Montevideo - Uruguay - Tel: (5982) 908 6023 - 902 0557 - 908 0545 - Fax: (5982) 902 1305
webmaster@cinterfor.org.uy

Copyright © 1996-2008 International Labour Organisation (ILO) - Disclaimer