May Day Marches Across Chile — Unions Demand Wage Protection as Living Costs Soar

Tens of thousands of workers marched across Chile on May 1, 2026 — International Workers' Day — with the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) and independent union federations presenting a common platform demanding protection of wages and workers' rights in the face of fuel-driven inflation. Marches took place in Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, Antofagasta, and Temuco. Union leaders warned the Kast administration against any rollback of social and labor rights, including minimum wage protections, severance pay rules, and union collective bargaining rights. The CUT described the march as the largest May Day mobilization since 2019, channeling social frustration with fuel price hikes, rising cost of living, and fear of austerity cuts to education and health.