Chile: Social Dialogue for Green Jobs Promotion

Green jobs promotion in Chile has focussed on various sector, such as recycling and waste management, forestry and renewable energy.

The ILO has been providing support to the Chilean forestry sector social dialogue process (2010-2013). This on-going multi-stakeholder approach seeks to jointly identify and design concrete solutions for the sustainability of forest plantation territories.

The ILO has also provided technical assistance to an inter-ministerial task force established in 2010 responsible for developing a policy for the inclusion of informal waste pickers in the waste management sector. The task force conducted a study to analyse the current situation of waste pickers in Chile. The findings highlighted the economic, social and environmental benefits provided by informal waste pickers to municipalities. Moreover, they revealed encouraging experiences from different Chilean municipalities regarding the different types of policy instruments employed to improve the living and working conditions of waste pickers. The study findings, consolidated in a report, provided a first step in defining public policy options for the social inclusion of waste pickers. Building on this, the ILO has provided assistance to the second phase of the work of the task force, namely the design and elaboration of a public policy proposal and action plan.

Besides, a national network of trade unionists on energy and the environment was formally established in 2011. The formalization of the network stems from a series of trainings provided by the ILO to leaders of the biggest trade union confederation (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores) to build their capacity and strengthen their participation in relevant policy discussions on issues related to energy, the environment and decent work.