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| Confederation of Chilean Workers (CUT) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Confederation of Chilean Workers (CUT) |
| Native name | Confederación de Trabajadores de Chile |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Key people | Luis Mesina; Bárbara Figueroa; Arturo Martínez |
| Members | ~300,000 (varies) |
| Country | Chile |
Confederation of Chilean Workers (CUT) The Confederation of Chilean Workers (CUT) is a national trade union center in Chile that coordinates labor unions, industrial federations, and sectoral organizations. Founded in the mid-20th century, CUT has been a major actor in Chilean labor disputes, social movements, and political realignments, engaging with political parties, nongovernmental organizations, and international labor bodies. The organization has played central roles in collective bargaining, strike actions, and campaigns tied to labor law reforms and social policy.
CUT emerged amid postwar labor realignments and industrial expansion linked to the development policies of the Gabriel González Videla and Jorge Alessandri eras. The confederation grew during the government of Salvador Allende and the Popular Unity coalition, interacting with Socialist Party of Chile, Workers' United Center of Chile (no link), and Communist Party of Chile factions. After the 1973 coup led by Augusto Pinochet, CUT faced suppression alongside unions such as the Central Única de Trabajadores and underwent clandestine organizing tied to exile networks in countries like Argentina, Spain, and France. The reestablishment in the late 20th century paralleled transitions under Patricio Aylwin and the Concertación administrations, and it contended with neoliberal labor policies stemming from reforms associated with José Piñera and economic frameworks influenced by the Chicago Boys.
CUT is organized around sectoral federations, workplace unions, and regional secretariats anchored in Santiago and major cities including Valparaíso, Concepción, and Antofagasta. Governance includes a national congress, an executive secretariat, and committees for collective bargaining, legal affairs, and international relations; past leadership figures have included Bárbara Figueroa and Arturo Martínez. CUT affiliates coordinate with international unions like the International Trade Union Confederation and regional bodies such as the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas. Internal structure reflects tensions between affiliate federations representing miners, teachers, healthcare workers, and public-sector employees, and sectoral organizations rooted in unions such as the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Fiscales and the Colegio de Profesores de Chile.
Membership spans industrial sectors historically dominant in Chile: mining in El Teniente and Chuquicamata, education in urban centers like Santiago Metropolitan Region, public services, healthcare, and retail. Demographics include a mix of skilled and unskilled workers, with representations of women and young professionals increasing through organizing in sectors such as nursing and teaching. Geographic distribution aligns with resource-rich regions—Magallanes, Atacama Region—and urban labor markets in municipalities like La Florida and Providencia. Membership figures have fluctuated with privatizations affecting companies like Codelco and labor market shifts tied to international trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations that influenced industrial strategies.
CUT has engaged with multiple political parties and coalitions, interacting with Concertación, the Nueva Mayoría, and parties on the left including the Communist Party of Chile and the Socialist Party of Chile. It has endorsed legislative initiatives on labor codes and social protection, worked with legislators such as Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet on pension and labor reforms, and allied with social movements including the 2011 student protests led by figures associated with Camila Vallejo and Giorgio Jackson. CUT’s political role has ranged from formal lobbying in the Chilean Congress to participation in national plebiscites and alliances with civil-society networks like Movimiento Social por la Unidad.
CUT has coordinated major strikes and campaigns including nationwide general strikes in response to austerity measures and labor code changes during the Pinochet regime and subsequent administrations. Significant actions occurred around miners' disputes in Chuquicamata and wage campaigns in the public sector involving sectors represented by Unión Portuaria and the Federación Nacional de Trabajadores de la Salud. CUT supported the 2011-2013 education reform protests and organized solidarity actions during the 2019 social unrest that engaged unions, student groups, and municipal workers in demonstrations across Plaza de la Dignidad.
CUT’s relations with executive administrations and employers have alternated between negotiation, confrontation, and tripartite dialogue in forums such as national labor councils convened under presidents like Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and Sebastián Piñera. The confederation has pursued collective bargaining agreements with firms in mining and manufacturing, confronted privatization policies affecting entities like ENAP and Codelco, and entered mediated settlements before labor tribunals such as the Corte Suprema de Chile in disputes over strikes and dismissals.
CUT has faced criticism from business confederations such as the Confederación de la Producción y del Comercio and political opponents alleging politicization and ties to partisan actors, including accusations concerning relations with the Communist Party of Chile. Controversies have included internal factional disputes over leadership selection, debates over strike tactics during major protests, and legal challenges brought by employers alleging unlawful strike conduct. Allegations of corruption or mismanagement have prompted calls for transparency from watchdog groups like Transparencia Chile and scrutiny by legislators in commissions of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies.