Labour law reform in Latin America: Between state protection and flexibility

Since the early 1980s, employment relationships in Latin America have undergone significant change under the simultaneous impact of gradual democratization and newly introduced economic liberalism. The latter, in particular, caused disruption to the State's interventionist role which had traditionally extended into the social sphere. After a brief historical survey of labour legislation, the author details the impact on employment relationships of the various reforms in national labour law. Most of these emphasized labour market flexibility, though some extended traditional social protection, and others combined both. In conclusion, he suggests some possible economic and social consequences.