translated from Spanish: September 18 and 19 is a mandatory and indispensable holiday for trade workers

The Undersecretary of Labour, Fernando Arab, together with the mayor of Providencia, Evelyn Matthei and the National Director of Labour, Lilia Jerez, toured part of the trade of the commune to remember that on September 18 and 19 they correspond to one of the five indispensable and obligatory holidays that exist each year.
During the activity they explained the rules to be met: trade must be closed from 21:00 on Thursday 17 September until 06:00 on Sunday 20 September 2020. They further clarified that these schedules could vary only for trade workers working on rotating shifts.
“Respect for this indispensable holiday is essential. It has been a particularly complex year, especially for workers, so respect for their rights is essential,” said Under-Secretary of Labor Fernando Arab.
Trade workers engaged in activities such as clubs, restaurants, fueling and emergency pharmacies, among others, are exempt from the compulsory and indispensable holiday.
“For a commune like ours, which has a lot of commerce, it is very important to remember this rule. It is a right that workers have, which more than ever with pandemic is important to remember and control,” said Mayor Evelyn Matthei.
Officials from the Labour Directorate also participated in the activity, who will fulfill their auditing role during these days. An employer who does not comply with the compulsory and indispensable holiday is exposed to fines ranging from 5 to 20 UTM for each worker affected by the infringement. It is important to note that commercial premises that are cared for by their own owners and/or direct family members can operate.
“The Labour Directorate will enable a banner on its www.direcciondeltrabajo.cl site from September 17 in the afternoon, so that those trade workers who are being forced to work can make their complaint,” said The Director of Labor Lilia Jerez.
Where to report?
The banner that the Labour Directorate will have on its site to report or to access the current regulations on mandatory and indispensable holidays, will be active between 18:00 hours on Thursday, September 17 and 15:00 hours on Saturday, September 19.

During the holiday on 18 and 19 September 2019, 59 companies were fined for not respecting the holiday, totaling 60 million pesos. Meanwhile, 116 workers were suspended from shifts that they should not be fulfilling.

Original source in Spanish