Government conducts training to promote women’s employment in transport and telecommunications sectors
The initiative seeks to disseminate among companies the grant to the recruitment of women and young people announced in September. This seeks to encourage the return of workers on a contract suspended under the Employment Protection Act.
This morning the Ministers of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt; Work and Social Security, Maria José Zaldivar; and Women and Gender Equity, Monica Zalaquett, led an activity to inform companies about newly implemented programmes and subsidies in order to enhance employment in the context of the pandemic.
These programmes aim, in essence, to promote recruitment and employment – financing part of the remuneration – and the return of workers on a contract suspended under the Employment Protection Act. Both grants have special incentives to employ women, young people and people with disabilities.
“From the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, we have the Gender Equity Policy and the various programs are constantly working on actions that will increase the inclusion of women and give them new opportunities for job development. This, considering that the transport and telecommunications sectors are highly masculinized and we must move forward in reducing the employment access gap. Added to this is the current situation arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, so these programmes provide direct support to businesses and future workers”, noted the holder of the portfolio, Gloria Hutt.
“Mechanisms are sought to reactivate and deliver new opportunities to thousands of women who have seen their affected work source as a product of the pandemic”
For her part, the Minister of Labour and Social Security, María José Zaldívar, emphasized that “we are looking for mechanisms to reactivate and deliver new opportunities to thousands of women who have seen their affected work source as a product of the pandemic. We know that many of them are heads of households and that having a stable and formal job is the only way they can ensure better well-being for themselves and their families.”
Women’s Minister and Gender Equity Monica Zalaquett added that “it is proven that there are no objective barriers for women to join in all productive sectors. Transport and telecommunications are highly masculinized areas, hence the importance of initiatives like this that will allow the recruitment of more women that will undoubtedly be a contribution in these activities”.
During the activity, the director of SENCE Metropolitano, Veronica Garrido, presented to the participating companies the specific tools that are being implemented from the institution to stimulate the recruitment of women under the present context of pandemic.
In addition, UNDP’s Head of The Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development Area, Rodrigo Herrera, presented the results of the Covid-19 Social Survey. One conclusion is that “the fall in employment is widespread; however, women are not returning to the labour market at the same rate as men.”
About subsidies
At the instance, government authorities delivered details according to the type of program each company can apply to. Thus, as for the hiring subsidy, the amount of the benefit will be equivalent to 50% of the gross monthly remuneration of the new collaborator, with a cap of $250 thousand per month. Meanwhile, if the contracted worker is a woman, over 18 and under the age of 24 or has a properly certified disability, the amount of the subsidy is increased to 60% of the remuneration, with a maximum of $270 thousand per month.
Gross remuneration may not exceed $961,500, equivalent to three monthly minimum income. Only companies increasing the total number of contracted workers will be able to access this subsidy from July 2020.
With respect to the return subsidy, the plan provides for the payment of $160 thousand per month per worker and, if a suspension of contract has not been agreed, but a temporary reduction with the worker for whom he applies for the benefit, a proportional fraction will be received for the benefit.
