Collective bargaining has been on the increase in
Brazil since the late 1970s. This is seen as part of
a broader change towards a hybrid system of interest
representation, in which elements of both the old
state corporatism and pluralism now coexist.
However, there is little empirical evidence
available to support this conclusion. This book,
therefore, addresses the question of the
strengthening of collective bargaining in Brazil by
providing a detailed empirical study. It focuses on
two main questions: (a) how important has collective
bargaining become in regulating the employment
relationship?; and (b) what factors account for
change in bargaining outcomes? As shown in the text,
most provisions created new rules; those
provisions that replicate regulatory legislation are
not neutral for job regulation; and agreements also
laid down provisions benefiting employers.
Bargaining outcomes were affected by the rate of
unemployment, the degree of openness to foreign
competition, the capacity of employers to pass on
costs, stabilisation policies; the Constitution made
in 1988, official minimum wages, and the conduct of
the judiciary.