Novas formas de regulação neoliberal do trabalho : um estudo com trabalhadores de postos de combustíveis

Abstract

The world of labor is an extremely dynamic and challenging dimension of social life in relation to our possibilities for studies in the sociology of labor. Since approximately the mid-1970s, the world of work has been adopting new forms of organization and workers have begun to occupy positions, that are different from those they once occupied in the world of labor, positions that are compatible with the new forms of exploitation of human labor within the process of productive restructuring and its necessary condition, flexible accumulation. This work aims to fundamentally investigate one of the facets of this new world of labor, namely what we call here “new forms of neoliberal labor regulation”, that is, the dimension of labor regulation within these new dynamics. To this end, we will use gas station workers as an empirical basis for our investigation, in order to demonstrate how these new regulatory modalities interfere in their daily work and in their trajectories. To this end, we used the methodology of surveying relevant labor laws and mapping the transformations they have undergone, mainly in the Regulatory Standards, in order to identifying the existence or not of neoliberal attacks on this regulatory parameter; we also carried out direct observation work at a gas station in Aracaju/SE, to identify how these types of regulation affect the daily lives of these workers; we surveyed empirical studies carried out among these workers, as well as a theoretical framework relevant to the interpretation of the data; and, finally, interviews were conducted to identify the trajectories of the workers and their ways of resisting daily exploitation in this work front. In this way, we identify that these types of regulation are responsible for exposing workers to physical and social risks, as well as we strive to make clear the commitment that the legislation has with capital. The work also demonstrates the role of contact networks and the dimensions of the precariousness of the world of labor for entry into this work front, as well as trying to identify the role of the union of these workers in terms of worker protection, indicating that, in this function, the union presents fundamental flaws.