Pampinos and the Chilean Labour Movement

Mine-workers and their families had to confront difficult living and working conditions in the Pampa. Along with their exposure to the harsh desert weather, they had to face poverty, long working hours, an unequal relation to more senior employees, and a salary paid in tokens. Their fight for a better quality of life and greater social justice motivated the birth of saltpetre workers’ unions. Together with other emerging unions that were rising across the country during the first decades of the 20th century, they advanced pioneering social demands that played a fundamental role in the institution of Chile’s first labour laws.
In contrast with the past, these struggles are revived on site today through a significant exhibition. The displays narrate the origins of the Chilean labour movement, which gave birth to an enduring social and political transformation.