In Chile, the working week was shortened from 45 to 44 hours. This is the first stage of a five-year process that will ultimately lead to a 40-hour working week in 2028, reported the Santiago-based daily La Tercera.
– Five or six years ago it seemed impossible (…) The country is moving forward and has taken a step forward thanks to the pressure of workers – government spokeswoman Camila Vallejo said at a press conference. In 2017, as a deputy from the Communist Party, Vallejo was one of the authors of the project. It was adopted by parliament in 2023, six years after its submission.
The government announced that the working week is to be reduced by shortening it by an hour on one of the days. This aroused dissatisfaction among business groups, which demanded the possibility of spreading this hour into 12 minutes each day, which could be added to the lunch break.
Working week in Chile
The 45-hour working week previously in force in Chile was one of the longest among the countries of the Organization for Economic Community and Development (OECD). Most countries of this organization have a 40-hour working week. At the same time, although the regulations set working hours at 45 hours a week, in reality Chileans worked shorter hours. Data from the beginning of 2023 show that the average employee in Chile worked an average of 36.8 hours a week, which was one of the lowest results in the region, the BBC reported.
According to Eurostat data Poles work an average of 40.4 hours a week with a statutory 40-hour working week.
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