How Temer’s Sweeping Labor Reforms Will Affect Brazil’s Workers

How Temer’s Sweeping Labor Reforms Will Affect Brazil’s Workers
Demonstrators protest against Brazilian President Michel Temer and his proposed changes to labor laws and the pension system, Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 30, 2017 (AP photo by Andre Penner).

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series about workers’ rights in various countries around the world.

Though mired in scandal and dogged by low approval ratings, Brazilian President Michel Temer has pushed forward with reforms that stand to dramatically reshape the country’s labor market. In general, these reforms, including a law he signed last week, are geared toward scaling back worker protections and increasing the power of employers. In an email interview, Salo Coslovsky, an associate professor of international development at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, explains how workers’ rights have evolved in Brazil and why the current reforms are taking place despite the country’s current political turmoil.

WPR: What has been the traditional status of workers’ protections in Brazil, and how had these evolved in the years leading up to Brazil’s recent political turbulence?

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review