Labour policy, labour-business relations and the transition to democracy in Chile

Chile's new civilian government, the centre-left Concertacion de Partidos p or la Democracia, has been strongly praised for its efforts to strengthen t he rights of labour and correct Chile's severe social inequalities. After n early a decade of civilian rule, however, it has become increasingly clear that these efforts have not succeeded. Indeed, one of the defining features of Chile's new democracy is the profound inequality and imbalance of power between capital and labour upon which it has been constructed. This articl e seeks to explain this outcome and examine its implications for Chile's po st-military political and economic order.