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| Chilean Employers' Association (SOFOFA) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sociedad de Fomento Fabril |
| Native name | Sociedad de Fomento Fabril (SOFOFA) |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region |
| Region served | Chile |
| Fields | Industry, Manufacturing, Mining in Chile, Banking in Chile |
Chilean Employers' Association (SOFOFA) is a major private business association founded in 1883 representing industrial and corporate employers in Chile. It links manufacturing, mining, finance, and service sectors and has intersected with prominent political moments including the Chilean presidential election, 1970, the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, and the transition to democracy culminating in the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite. SOFOFA has engaged with trade unions such as the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores and with multinational firms including Codelco, Antofagasta PLC, and Banco de Chile.
SOFOFA originated in the late 19th century as an association of industrialists connected to the rise of nitrate mining and the expansion of railways in Chile, with early leaders drawn from families associated with Luksic family, Matte family, and Ugarte family. During the Parliamentary Era (Chile), SOFOFA advocated tariff protection and industrial promotion, interacting with administrations like that of Pedro Montt and Jorge Montt. In the 1930s and 1940s it engaged with policies promoted by Carlos Ibáñez del Campo and Gabriel González Videla and later confronted labor mobilizations linked to the Chilean Communist Party and the Socialist Party of Chile. In the 1970s SOFOFA’s positions intersected with the governments of Salvador Allende and the subsequent Augusto Pinochet regime, playing roles in privatization and structural reforms alongside economists from the Chicago Boys and institutions such as the Central Bank of Chile. In the post-dictatorship era SOFOFA participated in policy debates during the administrations of Patricio Aylwin, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Ricardo Lagos, Michelle Bachelet, Sebastián Piñera, and Gabriel Boric. It has adapted to globalization trends influenced by agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade pacts with United States and European Union counterparts.
SOFOFA is governed by a board of directors and an executive committee that coordinates sectoral councils and technical committees. Its internal bodies mirror institutional designs seen in Confederación de la Producción y del Comercio and in chambers such as the Chilean Chamber of Construction and the National Mining Society (Chile). The association maintains regional offices in cities such as Valparaíso, Concepción, Chile, Antofagasta, and Iquique, and works through sector councils representing textiles, chemicals, metallurgy, food processing, and renewable energy enterprises like Enel Chile and SQM. It collaborates with vocational institutions including Universidad de Chile, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María for workforce development programs, and interfaces with regulatory bodies such as the Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros and the Dirección del Trabajo (Chile).
Membership spans large conglomerates and small-to-medium industrial firms, encompassing multinational corporations such as BHP, Anglo American plc, Siemens, and regional enterprises like Compañía de Petróleos de Chile (COPEC). Affiliates include sectoral associations like the Asociación de Bancos e Instituciones Financieras, industrial chambers, research centers such as the Centro de Estudios Públicos and Libertad y Desarrollo, and labor relations consultancies. SOFOFA has exchange relationships with international bodies including the International Labour Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the World Economic Forum, and maintains links with foreign employer federations like the Confederation of British Industry and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
SOFOFA conducts policy advocacy on taxation, trade, labor law, and environmental regulation, preparing position papers and proposing reforms to institutions such as the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile and the Servicio de Impuestos Internos. It organizes conferences and fairs alongside partners like the Asociación de Exportadores de Manufacturas, sponsors research with think tanks like Fundación Chile, and convenes industrial innovation programs with universities and firms including Microsoft Chile and Google Chile. The association provides legal counsel, collective bargaining advice connected to unions like the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, and compliance guidance relative to standards from International Organization for Standardization and environmental frameworks influenced by the Paris Agreement. SOFOFA runs training initiatives in conjunction with institutes such as the Servicio Nacional de Capacitación y Empleo.
Historically SOFOFA has been a key interlocutor for presidents, ministers, and legislators from parties such as Renovación Nacional, Unión Demócrata Independiente, Partido Demócrata Cristiano (Chile), and Partido Socialista de Chile on matters including privatization, labor reform, and fiscal policy. It has engaged in coalition-building with business confederations like CPC (Confederación de la Producción y del Comercio) and participated in national dialogues during crises such as the 2019–2020 Chilean protests and debates over constitutional change in the 2022 Chilean constitutional plebiscite. Economically, SOFOFA has influenced industrial policy affecting sectors represented by CORFO, SERNAGEOMIN, and export promotion bodies like ProChile.
SOFOFA has faced criticism for its positions during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and for lobbying perceived to favor deregulation and tax concessions benefiting conglomerates like the Luksic Group and Horst Paulmann-associated businesses. Critics including scholars from Universidad Diego Portales and activists from movements linked to Frente Amplio (Chile) and Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria have accused it of resisting labor protections promoted by unions such as CUT and social movements during the 2011 Chilean student protests. Debates have arisen over corporate responsibility in environmental conflicts involving Dominga (project), lithium extraction with companies like SQM and Lithium Americas, and allegations of influence in procurement processes with state-owned firms including Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (ENAP).
Prominent figures who have led SOFOFA include industrialists and executives who later interfaced with politics and finance, such as members of the Matte family, Andrés Santa Cruz-era business leaders, executives linked to Banco Santander-Chile, and presidents who engaged in national policy debates during administrations like Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet. Recent presidents have included executives from leading firms active in sectors represented by SOFOFA, maintaining public profiles in media outlets and participating in forums such as the COP (United Nations Climate Change Conferences) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
Category:Business organisations based in Chile Category:Organizations established in 1883