JUNE 2016
The ILO in Brazil
Brazil and decent work ILO contact
Peter Poschen
Director - ILO Office in Brazil
SEN, Lote 35 – Brasília, DF
Telephone: +55 61 2106-4600
[email protected] Tripartite constituents
Government: Ministry of Labor and Social
Security
Employers’ organization: National Confe-
deration of Industry (CNI)
Workers’ organization: Unified Worker’s
Central (CUT)
Find out more
ilo.org/brazil
As the 7th largest global economy in 2014, Brazil was one of the countries that
most contributed to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG)
on halving extreme poverty by 2015. Brazil exceeded the goal by reducing its
“Decent Work is a fundamental pre-
indexes from 25.5% to 3.5%. Between 2002 and 2013 Brazil also reduced
condition for poverty eradication and
the number of undernourished people by 82%. reduction of social inequalities, as well
Between 2004 and 2014, 20 million new formal jobs were generated, raising as a way to ensure democratic gover-
nance and sustainable development”
the formal employment rate from 46.7% to 59.3%. The unemployment rate went
National Decent Work Agenda of Brazil
down from 9% to 6.9% between 2004 and 2014. Furthermore, the process
of strengthening collective bargaining in the last ten years ensured that an average
of over 90% of collective agreements produced wage adjustments above inflation.
The minimum wage had a real increase of 76.5% between 2003 and 2015.
All these factors, along with the cash transfer programs, decisively contributed
Key challenges
to reducing income inequality, although considerable differences still persist.
• 1.5 million formal jobs were lost
Brazil is a founding member of the ILO and the first Latin American country in 2015.
to host an ILO field office, opened in 1950. Brazil has ratified 96 international
labour conventions. • Afro-descendant workers earn 41%
The National Decent Work Agenda and subnational agendas less than the others
The promotion of decent work is one of the most powerful ways to achieve social • 1 in 5 young afro-descendants and
inclusion, autonomy, and dignity and to distribute the fruits of economic growth. 1 in 4 young women do not study
In 2006 a National Decent Work Agenda was launched, with three priorities: or work
generating more and better jobs, eradicating forced labour and child labour,
and strengthening social dialogue. • Only 0.7% of formal jobs are occu-
pied by people with disabilities
In 2010 the National Plan for Employment and Decent Work was launched and
in 2012 the 1st National Conference on Employment and Decent Work was
held, involving 20,000 constituents from the entire country. Subnational agendas
were developed and implemented in states such as Bahia and Mato Grosso,
and in cities such as São Paulo.
Strategic action and results
Eliminate child labour
with the Ministry of Social Development South-South cooperation – invited Latin
a project that developed inter-sectoral American and Caribbean countries to
municipal diagnosis, enabling the devel- discuss and formulate the Regional
opment of localized and inter-sectoral Initiative “Latin America and Caribbean
actions to eradicate and prevent child Free of Child Labour”.
labour. The ILO is also conducting a During the 18 th American Regional
project to fight child labour in tobacco Meeting in Lima in October 2014, the
Brazil was among the first six countries plantations in Rio Grande do Sul, which Declaration of the Establishment of the
to receive the ILO’s Programme on the has already trained 1,173 farm supervi- Regional Initiative was signed by 25
Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) in sors and registered 1,418 children in ministers of labour from member coun-
1992. Since then, many projects and a government programme called More tries, and the ILO was designated as the
initiatives have been implemented to Education. Additionally, in 2013 Brazil initiative’s technical secretariat.
support the country in its fight against hosted the 3rd Global Conference on
child labour. The ILO has implemented Child Labour, and – in the spirit of
Eliminate forced labour
Through the Programme to Combat
Forced Labour, the ILO promotes ac-
tions aimed at increasing the knowledge
base on forced labour, strengthening
the National Committee for Eradicating
Forced Labour (CONATRAE), involving
workers and employers in confronting
and preventing the crime. Experiences
on the subject are then shared through
South-South cooperation activities with
Peru. Through the Integrated Action
Project, which first started in the state
of Mato Grosso, the ILO also supports
the socio-economic (re)insertion of peo-
ple rescued from or vulnerable to forced Geraldo José da Silva, rescued from forced labour in sugarcane production, took a qualification course and
today is a micro-entrepreneur in the agricultural sector.
labour, reducing worker vulnerability,
especially when related to extreme pov- of which 643 were capacitated. Thirty- create the Integrated Action Movement
erty, illiteracy, and lack of professional six professional training processes were with the goal of expanding and replicat-
qualifications. From 2009 to 2015, the conducted, reaching 73 municipalities ing the initiative in other states.
Project assisted 1,752 workers (44 wom- in Mato Grosso. The project’s success
en) who were referred to public policies, caused a number of federal entities to
Green Jobs
Deforestation is still the largest source Ministry of Environment in developing tainable value chains and to train public
of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil, and implementing policies that protect and private institutions at local, state,
causing damage to the rich biodiversity the environment and simultaneously and national levels in using the chains
in the forests and threatening even the offer sustainable sources of employment towards productive inclusion. Successful
extensive protected areas, especially and income to local populations. This Brazilian experiences are shared through
in the Amazon. The ILO supports the includes providing tools to identify sus- South-South cooperation.
Elimination of discrimination in the work place
The mission of the ILO is to promote for LGBT People in the World of Work”,
equal conditions and treatment in the as well as a campaign for the inclusion
work place. Thus it is fundamental to and non-discrimination of LGBT per-
work with groups that are excluded be- sons. The manual has been used by
cause of discrimination such as LGBT public and private companies to train
persons, especially transsexual women approximately 100,000 employees in
and men. In partnership with UNAIDS over 30 large companies. This effort is
and UNDP, the ILO formulated in 2014 part of the UN’s global “ Free & Equal”
as part of a tripartite initiative the campaigns.
“Manual for Promoting Human Rights
promoting decent work in major events
The 2014 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil, represented an opportunity for economic
growth and jobs creation. In this context, and in order to guarantee the promotion
of Decent Work, the ILO signed with the Federal Government two commitments
aimed at improving the working conditions in civil construction and other sectors
involved in the World Cup, through a tripartite action plan based on ILO’s international
labour standards. The ILO is also collaborating with the government through different
actions to promote Decent Work at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and is developing
a pilot project based on Salvador’s Carnival to promote Decent Work in large-scale
national events.
South-South cooperation programme
cooperation through the South-South migration. In 2015 the ILO promoted
Cooperation Program. The program mobilized the 1st South-South Cooperation Table
approximately US$ 20 million between 2005 of the Regional Initiative “Latin America
and 2015, which enabled the implementation and Caribbean Free of Child Labour”,
of 19 projects between Brazil and other which resulted in 60 manifestations
countries in the areas of child la- of interest, 17 defined commitments, and
The ILO and the Brazilian government have bour, forced labour, social protection, five announced partnerships among the 25
committed to promote greater international social security, green jobs and labour member states of the initiative.
Next steps
Brazil’s United Nations Development the implementation of the Sustainable equal job opportunities and treatment
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the Development Goals are: alleviating the for more excluded groups, such as
2017-2021 period will incorporate effects of the economic crisis, which afro-descendants, women, people with
decent work as an Outcome and as an has increased unemployment, especially disabilities, LGBT persons, and mi-
essential condition for reducing inequal- among young people, whose unemploy- grants; and expanding social security
ity in the country. The main challenges ment rate is two times higher than the among the most vulnerable segments
for ILO’s future work in Brazil, as part of total unemployment rate; promoting of the population.
Partnership for decent work
the ilo and decent work –
a mandate for peace
PPP – The ILO maintains partnerships with private institutions. ILO-Brazil currently has and social justice
a project in a public private partnership with Japan Tobacco International to eliminate
child labour on tobacco growing communities in the south of the country.
The ILO is devoted to promoting in-
Forums and joint entities – The ILO participates in over 60 forums and joint entities,
ternationally recognized human and
most of which are tripartite and include the participation of civil society. labour rights, pursuing its founding
The ILO and the UN – The ILO Office in Brazil actively participates in the United Nations mission that social justice is essen-
Country Team (UNCT) and its related groups. tial to universal and lasting peace.
Expenditure by resource partner (2012-2015) The ILO’s Decent Work agendas
help advance the creation of decent
work and the economic and working
conditions that give working people
Brazil
and business people a stake in las-
37% ting peace, prosperity and progress.
The ILO’s tripartite structure provi-
des a unique platform for promoting
Flanders
3%
decent work for all women and men.
United-States
45%
Public-private
Its main aims are to promote rights
parternership at work, encourage decent employ-
7%
ment opportunities, enhance social
Ireland
UN 1% protection and strengthen dialogue
organizations on work-related issues.
and agencies
7%
Selected Country Programme Results for Brazil in 2014 and 2015
COUNTRY PROGRAMME OUTCOME ILO CONTRIBUTION (OUTPUTS)
AND RESULTS ACHIEVED
Decent Work Agendas, Plans, Programs and Projects created in a tripartite manner (national, local, or sectoral)
evelopment of municipal decent work indicators for the 5,565 munic-
D > T he ILO developed the indicators together with the government
ipalities in the country. and IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Technology and Statistics).
Signing of the “National Commitment for Decent Labor in the 2014 World > The ILO sponsored research, organized thematic forums and focus
Cup”, the “National Commitment to Improve Work Conditions during groups, developed technical documents, and made the necessary
the 2014 World Cup in the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors”, together political connections to get the commitments signed.
with the “Commitment to Decent Employment and Work in the 2014 > Meetings to formulate guidelines for the Agenda and create a design
World Cup” signed by seven cities. for the final document.
Decent Work Agenda for Brazil’s Public Health System workers.
Promotion of equal opportunities and treatment in the work place
Adopt a law that guarantees the same rights and working conditions > Participation in meetings and dissemination of the ILO publication
for domestic workers as in other work categories. entitled “Promoting the Formalization of Domestic Work in Brazil”.
Fifth edition of the Pro Gender and Racial Equity Program (Federal > Institutional partnership in the Program and participation in all the
Government) that encourages public and private businesses to adopt phases.
measures promoting equal opportunities and treatment. > In partnership with UNAIDS and UNDP, the ILO created the cam-
National campaign to fight homo-lesbo-transphobia and the stigma paign that was shared on social networks and with public and private
of HIV/Aids in the work place, launched in a tripartite manner. businesses.
The Businesses and LGBT Rights Forum, made up of over 30 multina- > Participation in the Forum and support for the formulation of the
tional companies, launched the “10 company commitments to promote commitments and trainings in the work places.
LGBT human rights” based on the International Labour Standards.
Elaboration and implementation of policies to promote sustainable development and green jobs
he Brazilian Association of Technical Standards established a technical
T > The ILO is one of the founding and coordinating institutions of the
standard for the sustainable production of charcoal. Sustainable Charcoal Working Group.
> The ILO was responsible for establishing the labour criteria adopted
The Sustainable Charcoal Group launched a Monitoring and Verifying
by the Program.
Program to oversee the environmental and labor practices of companies
in the steel mill sector.
Adoption and promotion of public policies to formalize workers
The government implemented a strategy using official data involving > The ILO financed a study to analyze the application of the government’s
gender, age, region, and sector to identify concentrations of higher strategy and its impacts in order to contribute to its improvement.
informality that require greater inspection efforts in the work place. > The ILO supplied technical input to guarantee the protection of migrant
Bill of Law 2516, which establishes the new Migration Law, was formu- workers’ rights, according to international regulatory frameworks (ILO
lated and is working its way through Congress. conventions no. 97 and no. 143, and UN Convention on Migrant
Workers and Members of their Families).
Strengthening of public policies and social actions to eliminate forced labor and child labor, with special attention
to its worst forms
aunch the system of municipal decent work indicators that includes
L >T he ILO supported the government in developing municipal indicators
data about child labor, especially in its worst forms. of decent work.
The government designed and implemented a program with a set time > The ILO supports the design and execution strategy of the program.
period to fight child labour. > P roduction of technical documents and participation in thematic
Approval and enactment of the Constitutional Amendment 81/2014 meetings.
about forced labor that states: “the rural and urban properties in any > Support for formulating the modules and training researchers on the
region of the country ... where the exploitation of slave labor is found, subject.
shall, according to the law, be expropriated and allocated to land reform
and public housing programs...”
The Brazilian Institute of Technology and Statistics developed a supple-
mentary module for specific subjects of work relations in order to obtain
information and proof of forced labour practices.
Contact
International Labour Organization Tel: +41 22 799 7239 / Fax: +41 22 799 6668 DEPARTMENT
4, Route des Morillons E-mail: [email protected] OF PARTNERSHIPS
CH-1211 Geneva-22 – Switzerland www.ilo.org/pardev AND FIELD SUPPORT
