Uruguay: Programme for job preservation by reducing working hours, combined with training

By interpreting and streamlining existing legislation in terms of unemployment insurance, and combining this with other tools available for training, the Uruguayan Government designed a programme specifically intended to prevent companies affected by the global economic crisis from discharging workers or sending them to unemployment insurance. Simultaneously, the programme helps to prevent human capital at organizations from deteriorating and loss of worker competencies. The programme is based on the legal definition of partial unemployment insurance, used to offset the wage loss ensuing upon reduction of working hours. In addition, it provides a way to utilize unemployed working hours in training activities under collective agreement.