The configuration of labor flexibility. 50 years of international transformations in the World of Work

Abstract

In light of various research studies, this article examines changes in the world of work since the 1970s, influenced by industrial capitalism and marked by labor transformation through increased labor flexibility and reduced job security. These changes were responses to economic turbulence and
technological advancements, which resulted in rising unemployment rates and a decrease in labor union influence in labor policy. The importance of adopting
a synchronic perspective is emphasized to understand the history of labor, where various forms of labor relations coexist in the context of capitalism at specific moments. Various models of labor, both on an international and national scale, are highlighted, reflecting the global dimension of this phenomenon. Labor flexibility and precariousness affected sectors of the workforce in unstable conditions, while others enjoyed better labor conditions in capitalist societies, both in the core and periphery. The Chilean experience since the coup
d'état of 1973 is integrated into this historical context of transformations in the world of work, characterized by the application of critical neoliberal concepts regarding the expansion of labor rights and job security.