Labour disputes in contexts of trade union fragmentation and pluralism: An empirical analysis of the case of Chile

The number of strikes in Chile has increased substantially since the late 2000s. This article analyses this development from the point of view of a key aspect of the Chilean model of industrial relations: trade union pluralism. Drawing on a representative survey of private sector companies, the authors estimate logistic regression models indicating that trade union pluralism significantly increases the probability of strike action. The analysis does not, however, indicate that the positive effect of trade union pluralism can be explained by inter-union competition, as is suggested in some of the international literature.