News

"The State is Responsible for Preventing and Controlling External Violence, Not Companies or Employers"

Sponsors

• Timber industry associations protested against a measure by the Ministry of Labor, which included in the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health the obligation for employers to "adopt effective measures to reduce and mitigate risks associated with external violence in workplaces, especially in sectors such as forestry, transportation, and services."

Timber industry associations, grouped under the Futuro Madera network—comprising the Chilean Biomass Association, the Association of Forestry Contractors, the Native Forest Owners Association, the College of Forestry Engineers, the Chilean Wood Corporation, and Small and Medium-Sized Wood Industries—expressed their critical stance regarding the government's demand that companies take responsibility for preventing and mitigating external violence.

The controversy arose from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare's decision to include in the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health the obligation for employers to "adopt effective measures to reduce and mitigate risks associated with external violence in workplaces, especially in sectors such as forestry, transportation, and services."

In response, René Muñoz, manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors A.G. (Acoforag), stated that "the government is confusing employers' obligations regarding workplace violence and labor duties under Article 184 of the Labor Code with the State's responsibility for preventing and prosecuting external security threats, crime, and terrorism." Muñoz emphasized that "no company in the country can be held responsible for controlling external security and public order."

For the Futuro Madera network, this measure is particularly concerning for all types of businesses, as private entities would have to assume a responsibility that belongs to the State—preventing and combating crime and terrorism. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should not and will not be in a position to adopt these measures, leaving them exposed to external violence that daily endangers workers, especially those in sectors like forestry and timber, where companies operate in conflict zones.

Unfortunately, Futuro Madera explains, the Undersecretary of Social Welfare at the Ministry of Labor only worsened the problem by stating that while public security is the State's responsibility, companies must take preventive and risk-mitigation actions within their scope of authority, always in coordination with current labor regulations.

The Futuro Madera network supports Acoforag's position: "All of us who work and live from forestry activities unfortunately know firsthand what violence, crime, and terrorism entail, and we also know what it feels like to face the indifference of the State and the political world, as we have endured their failures for far too long." They reiterated their urgent call for the government to take responsibility for its duty—ensuring security and fighting crime and terrorism.