In 2015, 1.5 million paid workers were not allowed to quit the job they had in the week of reference because of debts owned to employers. This figure represents 2.9% of the total employed persons in the private sector and domestic workers aged 16 ad over (51.7 million). The most common types of debts were related to feeding (948 thousand) and transportation (744 thousand). This and other topics are presented in the “Working Relations and Union Affiliation” of PNAD 2015, conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) and the International Labor Organization, which, for the first time, investigated the relations between workers and employers. The main objectives of this initiative are the increase of knowledge about working relations and the improvement of the Brazilian experience in the measurement of Decent Work indicators, consequently leading to the elaboration of public policies related to the topic. Workers aged 16 and over who were employed in the private sector in agricultural and non-agricultural activities, paid in kind, were interviewed. The number of persons interviewed amounted to 51.7 million. Out of this total, 48.0 million (92.9%) worked in the non-agricultural sector and 3.6 million (7.1%), in agricultural activities.

About 9.8 million (18.9% of the total) had been contracted by na intermediator (person or company). In he non-agricultural sector, 64.7% of the persons hired had counted on the work of a person, for a total 6.2 million workers. In agricultural activity, the presence of a contractor was mentioned by 46.3% of the owrkers, followed by contraction intemediated by building companies, except cooperative ones (41.1%). Construction was the group of activity with the biggest proportion of immediate contraction: about 1.2 million (28.3% of the construction workers).

Among the rights held by the 51.7 million workers analyzed, the survey shows that 58.6% (30.1 million) did not receive food tickets; 14.8% (7.6 million) had no schedule flexibility; 37.3% (19.1 million) did not have access to training processes; 51.0% (26.2 million) did not receive complementary social benefits.

Men, white persons, workers aged 50 and over and those with complete higher education had the biggest percentages of professional satisfied or very satisfied, with some exceptions: the proportion of satisfied women was bigger in relation to items such as schedule flexibility, promotion of equality and security; and the percentage of workers aged 16 and 17 who were satisfied was bigger regarding the value of food tickets and schedule flexibility.

The survey also investigated in detail information on union affiliation. From the 94.4 million workers aged 16 and over existing in 2015, 18.4 milhões (19.5%) were affiliated to unions, 11.4% more than the figure registered in 2014, representing na increase of 1.9 million – which constrasts with the decrease of the employed population in 2015 versus 2014 (-3.8% or redcution of 3.7 million workers). Among those affiliated to unions, 50.8% reported having entered the union for believing these institutions defended the rights of workers. Among the 83.1 million (80.9%) of the workers in Brazil who did not participate in unions, 26.4% said the main reason for their non-affiliation was the lack of knowledge that the union represented their professional category and 23.6% considered that the union did not have the services they were interested in.

The complete publication is available here

The concept of Decent Work, used by the International Labor Organization (ILO), refers to the promotion of international labor standards, the generation of productive and high-quality employment for men and women, the extension of social protection and the promotion of a tripartite model of social dialogue (that is, with the participation of workers, employers and the government). Besides measures aimed at the generation of ob posts and combat to unemployment, the notion of Decent Work proposes the overcoming of forms of work which generate insufficient income and prevent individuals and their families from leaving a condition of poverty, or that are based on unhealthy, dangerous, unsafe and/or degrading activities.

The notion of Decent Work comprises the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of employment and represents the point of convergence of the ILO’s four strategic goals: 1) Standards and fundamental principles and rights at work 2) Employment 3) Social protection and 4) Social dialogue.

Out of the total 51.7 million workers, about 1.5 million, or 2.9%, were somewhat in debt with their employers, a situation that prevented them from quitting. Among employees hired directly by the employer, debts owed prevented the resignation of approximately 1.0 million, or 2.5% of them. That proportion was bigger among workers hired indirectly, 4.3% or 420 thousand employees.

Among the types of financial debts of these workers with their employers, which prevented the from resigning, 948 thousand were in debt related to feeding; 744 thousand, to tranportation, 373 thousand, to working instruments, 266 thousand, to rent and 156 thousand, to another type of debt.

One fifth of the workers in the North and Northeast were hired indirectly

Approximately 9.8 million (18.9%) of the total employees had been hired by means of a mediator (person or company). This form of recruitment was most commonly adopted in the North and Northeast Regions, where about one fifth of the employees were selected this way. In the South Region, this estimate was the least common: 16.0%.

In non-agricultural activities, most occurrences of indirect hiring (64.7%) depended on a person as mediator, whereas hiring through a company amounted to 30.4%. In the Northeast Region, the percentage of hirings through the mediation of a person was higher, 74.9%. In agricultural activities, 46.3% of the indirect hirings took place with the help of a contractor, followed by hirings through contracting companies, except cooperatives (41.1%). Construction was the group with the biggest proportion of indirect hiring: about 1.2 million (or 28.3% of the construction workers).

Benefits relative to Decent Work are most common in the South and Southeast

With the objective of evaluating some aspects of working relations associated with the notion of decent work, the survey asked eight questions about the level of satisfaction of employees in the private sector and of domestic workrs paid in kind. The aspects were: the level of wages and salary complements; the existence of food tickets; working hours; the existence and the evaluation of schedul flexibility; the occurrence of training programs; the promotion of equality and opportunity and the treatement in the work environment; healthfullness and security in the work environment; complementary social benefits. A subsjective evaluation scaled was adopted: Dissatisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Ok, Satisfied and Very satisfied. In order to facilitate the understanding of results, the percentages relative to the answers “Satisfied” and “Very satisfied” were aggregated.

Among the rights held by the 51.7 million workers analyzed, the survey showed that 58.6% (30.1 million) did not receive food tickets; 14.8% (7.6 million) did not have schedule flexibility; 37.3% (19.1 million) did not have access to training programs; 52.0% (26.2 million) did not receive complementary social benefits.

In the evaluation of level of wages and complement/salary bonuses, 60.1% of the employees were satisfied or very satisfied, the main percentage being that of the South Region (67.2%). The biggest percentages of dissatisfaction were found in the Northeast (14.8%) and North (12.6%) Regions.

The evaluation of food tickets in the Major Regions showed that the Southeast concentrated the biggest percentage of workers receiving the benefit (48.8%), whereas the other Major Regions did not even reach 40%: the lowest figures were those of the Northeast (32.4%) and North (34.4%). Among workers receiving the benefit, 66.1% reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the amount paid, a proportion which hit 70% in the South Region.

Schedule flexibility, considered a major factor in the process of balancing work and family life, healthcare and education for improvement, reached 43.8 million (85.2%). The main highlight was the South Region, with 89.0%. Among the Major Regions, the South stood out with the biggest proportion of satisfied or very satisfied persons (80.6%) and the North, with the smallest (70.2%).

The access to processes of professional training reached 62.7% of the paid workers aged 16 and over, the main highlights being the South (69.7%), with lowest percentages recorded by the Northeast (52.5%) and North (56.0%). The proportion of satisfied or very satisfied workers reached 70.3% in the country, and was biggest in the South (75.1%) and smallest in the North (64.2%).

Healthfulness and security in the work environment were evaluated for employees paid in kind in the private sector with at least three employees in the enterprise. A total 71.1% reported being satisfied or very satisfied, whereas 6.4%, dissatisfied. The Northeast had the smallest proportion of persons satisfied or very satisfied (61.7%) and the biggest proportion of dissatisfied persons (9.6%).

The analysis by sex, color or race and age groups, one can see that men, white persons and persons aged 50 and over feel satisfied or very satisfied most frequently than the other groups (see the chart below). The percentage of women satisfied or very satisfied only surpassed the percentage of men in three aspects: schedule flexibility at work; healthfulness and security in the work environment and equality of opportunity and treatment in the work environment. TYoungsters were more satisfied with aspects relative to the value of food ticket s and schedule flexibility.

The level of satisfaction also varied with the level of schooling and the workin g hours; for example, in the age group of 40 to 44 hours per week, 74.6% of the workers were satisfied or very satisfeid with their working hours. A comparison between workers with and without a formal employment contract shows that those with a formal contract were satisfied or very satisfied in a bigger proportion regarding most of the items, except food tickets and schedule flexibility.

Between 2014 and 2015, the employed population fell, but affiliation to unions increased

Out of the 94.4 million workers aged 16 and over existing in 2015, a total 18.4 million (19.5%) were affiliated to unions. Although the employed population fell from 2014 to 2015 by -3.8% or 3.7 million workers, the number of union members rose 11.4%, a total 1.9 members. The time series shows that year 2015 had the biggest number of workers participating in unions and the biggest percent change of increase since 2004.

50.8% of the members believe unions defend the rights of workers

Besides issues related to union affiliation, traditionally surveyed by PNAD since 1992, the 2015 edition brings additional questions to measure the particpation of diferente groups of the society and improve public policies aimed at the generation of employment and income developed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The new data refer both to union members and to workers not affiliated.

A highlight in this group of questions is that, when asked about the reason for affiliation, 50.8% of the union members said that they believe unions defend the rights of workers. Approximately 4/5 of them reported not using the services provided by the union and 81.8% did not participate in the activities promoted by the institution.

Among the members who took part in union activities, 76.8% attended assemblies, about 1/3 participated in demonstrations, little more than half (56.3%) attended lectures, courses or debates, 46.1% went to commemorative events and 26.9% took part in leisure or sports activities.

The survey also showed that 82.5% of the employees were affiliated to unions which had not joined negotiations or collective bargaining agréments in a period of one year. By Major Region, the South and Central West had percentages above the national average. Another highlight was the Northeast Region, with only 14.5%.

Out of the 2.4 million (17.5%) unemployed persons affiliated to unions which had joined negotiations or collective bargaining agreements, 92.2% said the negotiation referred to monetary income, 56.9% to benefits, 43.0% to of the employees said the training and equality of opportunity and treatment was na issued negotiated with the union they belonged to.

Not knowing the union is the main reason for non-affiliation

In 2015, about 83.1 million (80.5%) workers in Brazil did not participate in unions. In this group, 26.4% said the main reason for non-affiliation was the lack of knowledge about the union which represented their professional category. For 23.6% of the interviwees, na important fator was that the union did not provide interesting services. The lack of confidence in the union and the belief it would not represent their own interestes was a reason for non-affliation reported by 16.6% of the workers, whereas 11.8% said they simply did not know how to become a union member.

Social Communication
April 26, 2017