Cleide Pinto, Carina Trindade, Daniel Camargos e Cida Bento | Photo: Rebeca Figueiredo
Changing labor relations and the rise of informality pose new challenges for the organization of workers and the defense of historical guarantees in Brazil. The Human Rights Conference, organized by the Brazil Fund, addressed this situation at a panel titled A Collective Solution: Challenging the New Order of Labor Organization to Secure Rights, moderated by journalist Daniel Camargos, from Repórter Brasil, and with the participation of Cleide Pinto, from the Union of Domestic Workers of Nova Iguaçu and FENATRAD (National Federation of Domestic Workers); Carina Mineia, from the Gig Workers Union; and Cida Bento, a researcher and activist from CEERT.
Gig Work and the Limits of Autonomy
The impact of technology on people’s working hours and daily routine was at the center of the discussions. Data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) indicate that approximately 2 million people work through digital platforms in the country, fulfilling an average work week of 44.7 hours—an arrangement that sells a promise of freedom, but does not deliver it in practice. Cleide talked about Laudelina de Campos Melo, a champion for women’s and domestic workers’ rights, and founder of the first domestic workers’ union in Brazil.
Talking about how domestic work emerged from invisibility, she highlighted the achievements resulting from the Domestic Workers’ Constitutional Amendment and the regulation of this activity. However, she expressed concern about the introduction of apps, artificial intelligence, and digital work platforms, pointing to the risk of setbacks affecting the rights that were protected by that law. According to her, the absence of effective oversight mechanisms in this work environment hinders the protection of female workers and results in precarious employment conditions. Cleide also denounced the misuse of the Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI) tax classification by employers to avoid formally hiring their employees and depriving female workers of their rights.
In view of this, FENATRAD has been working to fight forced labor through campaigns such as We Will Not Cover It Up and to demystify the confusion between work relationships and affective bonds. Unions have been seeking to reverse this situation, promoting the autonomy of domestic workers and guaranteeing decent working conditions.
Trade Union Action, Gender, and Autonomous Alternatives
When analyzing the ride-hailing sector, Carina described the changes that took place in the past 11 to 12 years. She explained that the initial attractiveness of the sector has given way to a drastic reduction in drivers’ profitability, caused by increased competition, changes in bonuses, and constant changes promoted by the companies. Carina also highlighted that women represent only 15 percent of the category and face specific obstacles, including cases of sexism within the structures that represent them. Amid this uncertainty, a Complementary Bill of Law PLP 12/2024 has been proposed and is advancing in Congress, seeking to regulate the employment relationship in transportation apps and ensure social security protection. In view of this, 22 union entities joined together to create FENASMAP (National Federation of App Drivers’ Unions) to strengthen their representativeness.
In order to address this sector’s structural problems, Carina advocated more investment in political training and skills development, and mentioned the courses offered by Brazil Fund’s Labora project in Rio Grande do Sul. She also highlighted autonomous initiatives, such as the creation of a digital platform developed by workers from a cooperative in Caxias do Sul to gain a foothold against large corporations.
Indissociable Fights and Institutional Sustainability
The integration between labor demands and the agendas of racial and gender equality was stressed by Cida Bento, explaining that the engagement of union leaders in antiracist efforts strengthens the class struggle. She added that the inclusion of an equality promotion clause for female bank employees in their 2002 Collective Agreement was an important milestone.
She warned of the risks of fragmentation within the progressive field and argued that the demands of historically excluded groups should not be treated in isolation or labeled as mere “identity politics”, at the risk of shifting attention from the structural fight. “We drift apart more than we should, (…) our fights are indissociable.”
The discussions also addressed the influence of individualistic discourses and the appeal to concepts such as meritocracy, highlighting the difficulty of engaging young people in an environment dominated by algorithms. In view of this, participants emphasized the importance of reclaiming the concept of well-living and bringing workers’ unions closer to their members, rebuilding trust to encourage reports of undignified work. Finally, the role of philanthropy and development organizations in providing sustainable and continuous institutional support was highlighted, ensuring that civil society entities have a solid structure to weather times of crisis and instability.
