While Members Play Golf, Workers Accuse Club de Golf Valle Escondido of Illegal Replacement Amid Strike

Original article: Mientras los socios juegan golf, trabajadores acusan reemplazo ilegal en plena huelga en el Club de Golf Valle Escondido While Members Play Golf, Workers Accuse Club de Golf Valle Escondido of Illegal Replacement Amid Strike The General Confederation of Workers (CGT) has issued an open letter to Parliament, alleging that Club de Golf Valle Escondido hired «strike breakers» before employees could exercise their right to strike, violating Article 345, section two of the Labor Code. The dispute began on March 18, 2026, when the workers’ union at the club, located in the Lo Barnechea municipality of the Metropolitan Region, entered into collective bargaining negotiations. According to union reports, at the end of the discussions, the company refused to even include the minimum standards established in Article 336 of the Labor Code.

After the mediation failed—during which the company maintained its refusal to offer improvements—the workers decided to strike, banking on the protections against the replacement of strikers. «When mediation was requested, the company attended with the same attitude as throughout the process, denying workers even basic necessities. It’s a jungle law that prevails; the capitalist always tramples on the hopes and dreams of workers,» the CGT stated in the letter.

Before the strike could take effect, the club hired external personnel for 30 days to fill the positions of those about to halt work. The workers then requested an inspection. On May 11, after the strike commenced, a Labor Inspection official confirmed the illegal hiring of so-called «scabs».

Due to the company’s refusal to dismiss these replacements, the inspector only issued a fine without ordering an immediate cessation of the practice. The union warns that the situation is even more dire: if strikers block access to the club to prevent the entry of replacements, the company could call for public force, risking the arrest of the workers. “Where does the law stand?

” they ask in the letter, criticizing the «legislative laxity» that fails to impose clear penalties or effective mechanisms against employers who violate the prohibition on replacement. The CGT’s letter, addressed to deputies and senators, concludes with a call to action for authorities: “Some of you, ladies and gentlemen, should be willing to ask for an explanation from the authorities regarding such a disrespect towards the working class. ” While members of Valle Escondido Golf Club continue their routine, oblivious to the conflict, employees claim that the law is enforced rigorously only against those who protest, not against those who violate it from positions of economic power.