Mapa do trabalho escravo rural contemporâneo: o perfil do trabalho degradante em Mato Grosso do Sul e critérios para sua identificação

Abstract

The new relationship between labor and capital arising from changes in society, made a new concept of exploitation in Brazil emerge: the modern-day slavery. With very different characteristics from the classic model of slavery, the practice has become common in the country, especially in rural areas. The need to reduce costs of production and a lot of people who agree to undergo the degrading conditions of work come together to form a favorable environment for this practice. The issue has been the subject of arduous discussions, including the Legislature, which recently approved the new wording of Article 243 of the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988, imposing harsher punishments to workers who undergo these conditions. This time, it has become necessary to define objectively what would currently workers working in conditions analogous to slavery. The central idea of degrading work is transferred from the notion of restriction of freedom for the disrespect for human dignity, fundamental principle of the new legal system formed from the Constitution of 1988. From the analysis of situations found throughout Brazil and experiences practical in Mato Grosso do Sul, one can draw a scenario that reflects the reality in rural areas of the country. As a result, it takes a series of features which, if found, may objectively indicate an employment relationship as analogous to slavery.