The Lula government, the National Labor Forum and union reform

Abstract

This article seeks to contribute to the analysis of union reform, resulting from the National Labor Forum that sought a consensus among corporations and workers based on the notion of a 'social pact'. The federal government's intention was to update labor and union laws, adapting them to the new demands of national development in order to create an environment more propitious to the generation of employment and income. The Forum sought to modernize the labor regulatory institutes, particularly the Labor Courts and the Ministry of Labor and Employment; to stimulate dialog and tripartism and to assure social justice in the realm of labor laws, the solution of conflicts and union guarantees. In a critical manner, it intends to characterize the process of preparing the union reform of the Lula government, the composition of the representatives of workers and business, as well as the interests represented during the debates and in the final result.