Essenciais ou descartáveis? Trabalhadores em supermercados “descobertos” durante a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil

Abstract

The article analyzes the working conditions of supermarket workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the one hand, the essential character of its activity in the face of social isolation policies to control the virus drew attention to the need for this work of little or no social prestige. On the other hand, as we can observe for the set of categories considered essential, this indispensability of these activity does not necessarily imply social appreciation and better working conditions. The article is based on evidence from field research carried out in Walmart stores in Brazil, semi-structured interviews with workers and union leaders, administrative and media data. The argument defended here is that, in the case of supermarket workers, the pandemic aggravate working conditions that were already precarious, deepening vulnerability and exposing workers and their families to the risk of life and illness.