The government was accused of withdrawing a decree from the Comptroller's Office that mandates the investigation of workplace harassment and sexual harassment, reported the newspaper La Tercera. Last Friday, it was announced that the General Comptroller of the Republic (CGR) had withdrawn its approval of Decree No. 10 from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
The initiative aimed to modify the current regulations regarding the investigation procedures for sexual harassment, workplace harassment, and violence at work under the Karin Law, legislation approved during the previous government. The withdrawal of the modification, submitted six days after the change of administration by the Undersecretary of Labor, was criticized by Deputy Ana María Gazmuri via X. “The government withdraws from the Comptroller's Office the decree that required investigating workplace harassment, sexual harassment, and violence at work.
Just before implementing the Karin Law, they are rolling back. This is not a technical adjustment: it is weakening the protection for victims. Unacceptable,” she condemned.
Origin of Modifications Contacted by La Tercera, the administration of Gabriel Boric detailed that these modifications to the current regulations were developed after a monitoring process during the first year of the law's implementation, considering institutional evidence and the number of complaints received. The high volume of complaints received, they explained, had "strained" institutional procedures, necessitating improvements to make the processes clearer and more efficient. “The goal was to safeguard the principles of the law, especially the gender perspective and the non-re-victimization,” stated Ximena Valencia, former chief advisor to Boric's Ministry of Labor.
Additionally, from the previous administration, it was explained that the modifications to the decree submitted to the C…
Any adjustment must be made while safeguarding those standards. ” Official Explanation In response to the questions, La Tercera consulted the current Undersecretary of Labor, Gustavo Rosende, about the withdrawal of the approval. “We need to be clear: the law remains fully in force, and no obligation is being weakened.
What we are doing is reviewing a decree submitted in the last days of the previous government, to ensure a new regulation whose implementation is effective and truly protects people,” he stated. “This process is being carried out by gathering the experience and analysis of various stakeholders, both from the workers' side and from employers and other relevant organizations,” Rosende added. Meanwhile, he reaffirmed the Executive's commitment to advancing a “new proposal that effectively respects and promotes the spirit of the Karin Law, strengthening the protection of individuals and ensuring proper implementation of the regulations.