Chile – from Pinochet’s neoliberal counter-revolution to the 2019-20 anti-neoliberal revolt

Duran-Palma, F. and Urrutia, M. 2023. Chile – from Pinochet’s neoliberal counter-revolution to the 2019-20 anti-neoliberal revolt. in: Atzeni, M., Mezzardi, A., Moore, P. and Apitzsch, U. (ed.) Research Handbook on the Global Political Economy of Work Edward Elgar. pp. 642-659

Chapter titleChile – from Pinochet’s neoliberal counter-revolution to the 2019-20 anti-neoliberal revolt
AuthorsDuran-Palma, F. and Urrutia, M.
EditorsAtzeni, M., Mezzardi, A., Moore, P. and Apitzsch, U.
Abstract

Over the last four decades, Chile has experienced the longest economic expansion in its history but simultaneously suffered the persistence of high levels of inequality, precarity and social exclusion. Mainstream interpretations of this apparent good news–bad news paradox, that is, removed from a consideration of the broader political economy which produces it and reproduces it, typically point to an alleged ‘failure’ of the neoliberal model to deliver growth with equity. In contrast, this chapter argues that this supposed paradox demonstrates the ‘success’ of Chile’s neoliberal model to deliver growth at the expense of equity, clear evidence of which is provided by industrial relations institutions deliberately designed to re-commodify and discipline labour by undermining its structural and associational power. That workers and their representative organisations have been severely weakened as a result, a fact typically construed by ‘workerless’ post-industrial perspectives as evidence of a predictable and inevitable decline in worker collectivism, does not mean that they have become ineffectual social actors. On the contrary, this chapter contends that working classes have played a significant role in building organised resistance against neoliberalism since the early 1980s, through a combination of rising labour militancy and social conflict, of which ‘rupturist’ forms of unionism by precarious workers, and broader ‘Polanyian’ struggles with an important proletarian component, have been of special significance (after Silver, 2003).

KeywordsChile
neoliberalism
precarity
precarious workers
trade unionism
labour movement
Book titleResearch Handbook on the Global Political Economy of Work
Page range642-659
Year2023
PublisherEdward Elgar
Publication dates
Published24 Oct 2023
ISBN9781839106576
9781839106583
9781839106538
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839106583.00073
ProjectVarieties of collective action of atypical and precarious workers in Latin America
FunderUniversity of Westminster

Related outputs

Women in Construction, Wood and Forestry: a Resource Toolkit for Gender Equality at Work
Schiano-Phan, R., Guedes, C., Georgiadou, M., Clarke, L. and Duran-Palma, F. 2023. Women in Construction, Wood and Forestry: a Resource Toolkit for Gender Equality at Work. Brussels, Belgium European Federation of Building and Woodworkers. https://doi.org/10.34737/w7608

Towards nearly zero energy building in Europe: the challenge of vocational education and training for the construction industry
Clarke, L., Duran-Palma, F. and Sahin-Dikmen, M. 2020. Towards nearly zero energy building in Europe: the challenge of vocational education and training for the construction industry. in: Leal Filho W., Azul A.M., Brandli L., Lange Salvia A. and Wall T. (ed.) Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG9Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Switzerland Springer.

Inclusive Vocational Education and Training for Low Energy Construction: VET4LEC Final Report and Country Summaries
Clarke, L., Gleeson, C.P., Sahin-Dikmen, M., Winch, C. and Duran-Palma, F. 2019. Inclusive Vocational Education and Training for Low Energy Construction: VET4LEC Final Report and Country Summaries. Brussels European Commission.

Rethinking research supervision: some reflections from the field of employment relations
Bingham, C. and Duran-Palma, F. 2013. Rethinking research supervision: some reflections from the field of employment relations. Teaching in Higher Education. 19 (1), pp. 78-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2013.827643

Employment relations in Chile and Argentina
Atzeni, M., Duran-Palma, F. and Ghigliani, P. 2011. Employment relations in Chile and Argentina. in: Barry, M. and Wilkinson, A. (ed.) Research handbook of comparative employment relations Edward Elgar. pp. 129-152

Contract labour mobilisation in Chile's copper mining and forestry sectors
Duran-Palma, F. and Lopez, D. 2009. Contract labour mobilisation in Chile's copper mining and forestry sectors. Employee Relations. 31 (3), pp. 245-263. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450910946451

Labour reform in a neo-liberal 'protected' democracy: Chile 1990-2001
Duran-Palma, F., Wilkinson, A. and Korczynski, M. 2005. Labour reform in a neo-liberal 'protected' democracy: Chile 1990-2001. International Journal of Human Resource Management. 16 (1), pp. 65-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/0958519042000295957

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/w021z/chile-from-pinochet-s-neoliberal-counter-revolution-to-the-2019-20-anti-neoliberal-revolt


Share this

Usage statistics

132 total views
15 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.