The union dismantling before 2017 labor reform

• Grant number: 24/23524-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Law - Private Law
• Principal Investigator: Victor Hugo de Almeida
• Grantee: Ulisses de Almeida e Mello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The dismantling of labor unions prior to the 2017 labor reform was a heterogeneous process. Driven by economic, political, and social factors, it enabled the approval of the 2017 labor reform, which was explicitly embodied through Law No. 13.467/2017, a regulation that flexibilized labor rights and relations. Among the main elements driven by these factors, the pressure to reduce or eliminate the mandatory union contribution stands out, thus weakening union organizations. Furthermore, while the economic crisis and rising unemployment reduced the base of unionized workers, Law No. 13.467/2017 introduced provisions that undermined the labor movement. In fact, the growing presence of liberal discourses reduced the social legitimacy of labor unions and paved the way for the approval of the labor reform. Against this backdrop, the aim of this research is to investigate the process of dismantling labor organizations in Brazil, both before the implementation of the 2017 Labor Reform and to identify the factors responsible for the weakening of these entities, as well as to examine the impacts of this change on labor relations.The following methods are adopted for this purpose: the bibliographic research technique in published materials, whose data will be analyzed using the deductive method; and the documentary research technique, whose data will be analyzed using the content analysis technique. It is expected that the results of this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the impacts of the labor reform on the Brazilian labor movement and to the debate on the reconstruction and revitalization of labor organizations in the post-reform scenario.