Chile: Senate Labor Committee moves forward with bill to establish early closure of commerce

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Labor Commission of the Senate sent to the Chamber the bill that establishes the early closing of commerce. Although initially the proposal aimed at establishing by law the closing of these establishments at 7 PM, the parliamentarians modified this schedule yesterday.

Specifically, the commission president, Carolina Goic, presented an indication that the closing of commerce would be at 8 PM.

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Thus, the proposed article establishes that “workers dependent on the commerce will work in no case beyond 8 PM between Monday and Saturday, nor beyond 6 PM on Sundays or holidays”.

This limit will not apply to those who work in establishments whose employers are micro-enterprises, provided that such establishments are not located in commercial centers or complexes managed under the same corporate name.

“There is no doubt that what is wanted is to exclude the smallest ones and that this is focused on large commerce”, stressed Goic, adding that the motivation behind this indication is that effectively the early closing of commerce can be implemented.

“Many companies adopted the early closing. It shows that it can be done, that it can be reconciled with the development of the business. We have to look for formulas that allow families to be together at a reasonable time,” she stressed.

Her opinion was complemented by her PS peer Juan Pablo Letelier, who added that “as one of the authors, I believe that this allows differentiating between big commerce and local companies, the entrepreneurs, I think it is good”.

For her part, PPD Senator Adriana Muñoz pointed out that the indication elaborated by Goic safeguards the bill’s objective, which is that workers spend more time at home with their families.

“This does not come out of nowhere; it arises from a real experience that has been had, in big commerce, malls, and supermarkets during the pandemic, in this period there was no difficulty for them to close at 7 PM. I think it is time for us to start promoting central changes in the ways of working”, said Muñoz.

THE DETAILS

This indication was approved with three votes in favor and two against.

However, this restriction on working hours will not apply to workers who work in clubs, restaurants, entertainment establishments such as cinemas, live shows, discotheques, pubs, cabarets, commercial premises in airports, casinos, and pharmacies.

On the other side of the issue, the Undersecretary of Labor, Fernando Arab, was not satisfied with the proposal.

“We do not like setting a closing time for economic activity because by stating that commercial workers cannot work beyond a certain hour, what we are doing is limiting the operation of an economic activity”, he questioned.

UDI Senator Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe made a similar criticism: “This is arbitrary, what has to be done is to protect the working day, that people do not work beyond a certain time, that if they leave without transportation, that the means are generated so that they can reach their homes”.