IV ISA Forum of Sociology (February 23-28, 2021)

365

Labour Reforms in Latin America in the New Century

Abstract Submissions Closed

RC30 Sociology of Work (host committee)

Language: English, French and Spanish

Session Type: Oral

Invited Session

In several countries of Latin America, labor laws have been gradually losing and reducing their social protection role. The arguments used to promote the reforms assert that countries need to adapt to companies’ demands and to globalized labor markets. Allowing more flexible industrial relations has therefore become a major priority for economic neoliberal policies. The consequences are an increased vulnerability of labor and workers, and stronger precariousness in the employment relationships. For companies, productivity patterns require to consider labor laws as an obstacle to efficient business relations. Nowadays, in Latin America, employers have a greater freeway to define the working times and wages, temporary contracts have increased, fixed term contracts have been multiplied and the recruitment of workers, deprived from any formal employment relationship, has become easier. This movement has destroyed identity bases, and it has affected the principles of solidarity, rights and social justice. It constitutes a frontal assault on the workers community. With respect to trade unions, these transformations have undermined the unity of representation, and enabled the individual bargaining of major aspects of the employment relationship as well as the representation of workers on the workplace independently from unions; it has also reduced their financial resources. In short, this session aims to address, through the cases of Latin-American countries, the mechanisms of destruction of labor rights, the expansion of the vulnerability of workers, the degradation of their living conditions and social fabric, while inequalities and social exclusion are increasing.