Did unionism leave crisis left behind? a new round of strikes in the 2000s

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to resume, in an indicative and preliminary order, the debate on the crisis or the historical decline of trade unionism. The question we want to raise is this: union activity, in the 2000s, is indicative that the Brazilian trade unions overcame their crisis? Our text analyzes a cycle of strikes under way in Brazil since 2004, stressing, among other elements, the number of strikes and strikers, the offensive nature of these strikes and the victories that workers have been obtaining in their demands. We support the hypothesis, still under investigation, that union activity in Brazil in the 2000s is a very strong indicator of the mistake in the thesis of historical decline of unionism.