Transnational Corporations and the Development of Labour Movements: The case of the salmon industry workers in Puerto Montt and Chiloé

Abstract: The purpose of my thesis is to understand in what ways economic and productive transnationalisation affects political and social participation in the local level. Particularly, what I wish to explore are the effects of integration into the global economy over labour movements in peripheral regions. I study the ways in which workers of salmon firms in the areas of Puerto Montt and Chiloé organise and act. This research starts from the assumption that transformations in the productive sphere will have consequences in terms of labour organisation and action. Framed by the transnationalisation of production and the shifts of social power in national and global contexts, this research seeks to answer the following question: in a context of flexible and precarious employment -what includes fear of losing jobs-, and facing extremely harsh working condition, do workers in the salmon industry organise and protest? And then, is there a difference depending on the locality? In order to do so, a set of methods will be employed. First, the economic, political, social and cultural histories of these two areas will be described and analysed in order to obtain a sound contextualisation. Then, forms and degrees of labour organisation and action will be assessed. Finally, semi-structured interviews and a focus group session with workers are organised in order to flesh out the effective strategies and tactics, and the limitations and challenges they face in the process.