Can strike action revitalize labour unions? An empirical analysis of the Chilean case.

This article examines the recent increase in union membership in Chile between 2007 and 2020, a period marked by rising strike activity despite the absence of significant pro-labour reforms. Using panel data from Chile's nine main economic industries (1999–2019), the study finds that the frequency of strikes positively correlates with union density, while strike size has a nonlinear effect—small strikes may reduce membership, but larger strikes increase it; strike duration showed no significant impact. Individual-level mediation analysis based on the World Values Survey (2014–2018) reveals that workers' willingness to strike is associated with higher union membership primarily because such workers exhibit greater trust in unions and higher politicization, rather than stronger working-class identity or left-wing orientation. The findings suggest that strikes can play a revitalizing role in union growth by fostering politicization and pro-union attitudes, even within Chile's neoliberal industrial relations framework characterized by restrictive labour laws and fragmented union structures.