FIVE DECADES OF WORKING CLASS STRUGGLE FOR WAGE INCREASES

Abstract

This paper shows how wage adjustment, one of the most important items of the collective negotiations agenda, were held in different political and economical environment. The starting point is the military dictatorship when collective negotiations stopped. Subsequently, with the reopening of the negotiation processes, the 1980’s and the early 1990’s were marked by great difficulties for workers to getting wages increases caused, principally, by Brazilian economy stagnation. The last period, which begins in 1994 and shuts in 2008, has like backdrop the Plano Real and it presents antagonistic results for workers. Up to 2003 most of the results didn’t show any purchasing power increasing. However, since 2004 a significant improvement took place due to syndical movements driven by several factors, such as economic growth, low rates of inflation and democratic environment. After some quite favorable years, the international crisis initiated in 2008 didn’t impact negatively upon wages negotiations, but it brings great doubts for future increases. Information on wage negotiations were originating, in a large extent, from the technical production of DIEESE (Intersyndical Department of Statistic and Socioeconomic l Studies). DIEESE advises trade unions during wage negotiations, among other duties.