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First were the multinational retail chains and now the health industry, where private clinics such as the Red Christus UC, the MEDS Sports Clinic or the University of Los Andes Clinic, are questioned for availing themselves of the Employment Protection Law.
In the case of the firm linked to the North American Christus Health and the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile, the contracts of 30% of the workers will be suspended or adjusted, while another 35% will make a voluntary reduction in their wages.
In the institution they argue that the drop in benefits has forced this decision, taking into account that outpatient care has fallen by 80% and hospital care by 60%, while medical supplies have increased up to seven times in value. .
The workers, however, consider the decision unfair, taking into account the financial support available to the health network.
This is stated by Delfín Levicoy, spokesperson for eight union groups at the Clínica Universidad Católica, also ensuring that the decision is not justified when activity in general has been recovering dynamism.
The conflict occurs amid an increase in applications to benefit from the Employment Protection Law, which since the last balance increased by around ten thousand, of which 92% are micro or small companies.
In this way, the companies requesting the benefit total more than 66 thousand, affecting a total of almost 520 thousand workers.
The Minister of Labor, María José Zaldívar, reiterated that the size and sector where companies work is not relevant to apply for this modality, as long as they are not trained to fulfill their contractual obligations, which also applies to clinics.
Note that not only Christus UC, but also other private clinics, have adhered to this standard.
The National Federation of Private Health Unions, Fenassap, expressed its rejection of these decisions with a call to denounce possible abuses, as explained by its president, Gloria Flores, regretting what in her opinion is an ethical contradiction.
There is still a pending debate in Congress regarding modifications to incorporate into this law, which are expected to be addressed this Tuesday in a mixed committee of parliamentarians.
In the opposition they announced that they will seek to establish parameters related to limiting the distribution of dividends and also the subsistence allowance of the board of the companies involved.
The DC deputy, Gabriel Silber, assured that it could also regulate what type of companies are welcomed, while his counterpart for National Renewal, Alejandro Santana, opened up to focus the measure.
According to the minister, there will be an audit to verify that the companies that request the benefit have lost profits or sales, or that they have made other austerity efforts, such as reducing salaries and expenses.
Otherwise, sanctions include from three to five years in prison; the total return of the unduly received resources, to double; and the prohibition to acquire contracts with the State for two years.
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