ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the characteristics of the union movement and its political development. It explains the outcomes of its activities over those 25 years both within and outside the sphere of state institutionality, to come to an understanding of its achievements, its failures and possible future scenarios. The chapter begins with the return to democracy and ends in 2000, a moment marked by the punto de inflexion which represented the end of the Asian Crisis for a severely weakened union movement and the replacement of the Workers Trade Union Federation (CUT) leadership. Meanwhile, it lies with the 'socio-political' shift of the union movement in the CUT and the reposition of unions as the leading protagonists with strike actions beginning in 2006, and culminating with the beginning of the second Bachelet government. The chapter offers an overall assessment that includes the debate on the first two years of the government of the New Majority and the discussion around labour reform.
