Brazilian Labour Reform in Historical Perspective

Abstract

This article presents a historical perspective on the foundations of labour market regulation in Brazil. It aims to provide a better understanding of the “modernising” initiatives that have been presented since the 1990s and that have recently gained new contours with the approval of the Labour Reform, in July 2017, and other similar measures. This is particularly important because Brazil is currently suffering deep economic stagnation and a severe political crisis, after a period of significant economic growth. It draws on both classical and current studies by labour sociologists and economists, as well as on the author’s previous studies.