Camila Sailer Rafanhim
Contact
Institute
University of Kassel, International Center for Development and Decent Work
PhD Project Title
Public Sector’s Unionism in the context of a governmental neoliberal agenda
Abstract of PhD thesis
This project is part of the research that has been carried out by the proposer as a requirement for her Ph.D. in Sociology at the Federal University of Paraná - Brazil. Its main objective is to analyze the transformations of collective action of public sector workers, seeking to reflect on the changes that occurred in this unionism and its specificities, in a historically contextualized way, aiming to relate in which ways the neoliberal advance is reflected in the collective actions developed within of unionism.
For the empirical research of this social phenomenon, it was decided to specifically observe three unions of municipal civil public servants in the city of Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná, between the years 2011 and 2021.
Workers unionism in Brazil is going through a challenging time. Capitalism has transformed and changes the world of work, which affects the unions and the form of organization of the collective action of workers. Public sector unionism is also changing. In addition to the new configuration of work and policies that trigger the weakening of union power affecting private sector workers, neoliberal political agents adopt changes in the way the state acts, and this also creates other challenges for unionism of the public sector. Austerity policies implemented by neoliberal governments directly impact public sector workers. This justifies the importance of investigating the workers' collective action of the public sector by the sociology of work.
The object of the doctoral research being conducted in Brazil is to analyze the collective action of Curitiba's municipal public workers and their dynamics in the neoliberal context. The methodology of empirical research in Brazil involves analysis of documentary sources of unions, in-depth interviews with union leaders and questionnaires to identify and understand the conflicts of workers with the government and the difficulties faced in collective bargaining with this actor, but also for the multiple relations between the different unions and between unions and represented workers.
One of our hypotheses is that the ways in which conflicts are dealt with and collective bargaining is conducted between workers and the government are modified and influenced by internal and external factors. On the one hand, by the government orientation of the employer (for example the neoliberal one) and by the new configurations imposed by the government on work in the public sector. On the other hand, by the internal conflicts of the categories, which lead to political disputes for power in the union and the break up of the category into new unions, what can cause weakness.The international frame of changes in the world of work requires comparative studies.Therefore, the research period in Germany may contribute to the reflection. Even having in mind that Brazil and Germany have their differences.
Germany and Brazil are considerable different countries and cause of that there is no way to carry out a classic sociological comparison between the two realities. However, it is possible and crucial that contextualized and relational analyses about the object in the two countries are performed. Germany has witnessed a real implementation of Welfare State, which has not happened the same way in Brazil. It reflects on work and life conditions of workers in general. In addition, it means different public services policies and regulation, which includes the work and remuneration conditions for the public sector employees. Nevertheless, both Brazil and Germany are experiencing in recent years the context of a neoliberal agenda and austerity policies that affect directly the public sector workers.
Therefore we have to ask: how are configurated the work and the worker relation in the German public sector nowadays? Are the entry opportunities and working and remuneration conditions in the public sector actually different than the ones in the private sector? How does this reflect on workers' lives? And yet, how does this reality influence the union organization? At this point, one should also note the combination of these factors with the form of union organization in Germany, where there is actual freedom of association not limited by the rule of union uniqueness, which in Brazil applies. Also, by understanding these social realities, the exchange of experiences with labor researchers in Germany will provide us with new theoretical perspectives for the reflection of the object that is intended here.
Supervisors
Educational Background
| 2019-present | Sociology, UNINTER Educacional SA |
| 2018-present | PhD (Sociology), Universidade Federal do Paraná |
| 03/2013-03/2015 | Master in Law / Fundamental Rights and Democracy, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil |
| 12/2013-01/2014 | Guest researcher / Master Student, Institut für Arbeitsrecht und Arbeitsbeziehungen in derEuropäischen Union |
| 2012-2013 | Specialization in Civil Procedural Law (Civil Procedural Law), Instituto de Direito Romeu Felipe Bacellar |
| 2012 | Complementary training in Methodology of Higher Education, Instituto de Direito Romeu Felipe Bacellar |
| 02/2006-01/2010 | Law, Centro Universitário Curitiba |
Professional Experience
| 2017-present | Visiting Lecturer, Universidade Positivo |
| 2016-present | Member, the Specialized Consultant Body on Trade Unionism for the Brazilian Bar Association (Lawyers' Association) of the state of Paraná |
| 2014-present | Associate, Rafanhim e Borba Advocacia |
| 2014-present | Visiting Lecturer, Instituto Tecnológico e Educacional de Curitiba (ITECNE) |
| 2013-present | Visiting Lecturer, Instituto Nacional de Ensino Jurídico Avançado (INEJA) |
| 2011-present | Lecturer, Centro Educacional Anísio Pedrussi (CEAP) |
| 2019 | Substitute Lecturer, Instituto Federal do Paraná (IFPR) |
| 2017-2018 | Lawyer and Consultant, Sindicato dos Servidores do Município de Agudos doSul (SINDAGSUL) |
| 2014-2018 | Lecturer, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil (UNIBRASIL) |
| 2010-2018 | Lawyer and Consultant, Sindicato dos Servidores do Magistério PúblicoMunicipal de Araucária (SISMMAR) |
| 2013-2014 | Guest Researcher, Universität Trier |
| 2011-2014 | Lawyer and consultant, Sindicato dos Servidores Públicos do Município deCuritiba (SISMUC) |
| 2011-2014 | Lawyer, Rafanhim, Souza e Rosa Advogados Associados |
| 2010 | Intern, Rafanhim, Souza e Rosa Advogados Associados |
| 2009-2010 | Intern, Tommasi Advogados (TOMMASI ADV) |
| 2008-2009 | Intern, Justiça Federal de Primeiro Grau do Estado do Paraná -Juizados Especiais (JE) |
| 2007-2008 | Intern, Rafanhim, Souza e Rosa Advogados Associados |
| 2006-2007 | Polícia Civil do estado do Paraná - Delegacia de Homicídios (DH) |
Awards/Scholarship
| 2018-2022 | Ph.D. Scholarship from the Higher Education Personnel Improvement Coordination (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES) at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) |
| 2013-2015 | Scholarship Master Student, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil (UNIBRASIL) |
| 2012 | Award for best article in the Legal Articles Contest of the XIII Congress of Administrative Law of Paraná, IPDA |
Social/Political Activities
| 2015-present | Member of the editorial board, Trade Union Law Forum Journal |
| 2019 | Coordinator, X Seminário Nacional de Sociologia e Polític |
| 2013-2018 | Participation in the board of examiners, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil |
| 2017 | Analysis Committee, Centro Universitário Curitiba |
| 2017 | Participation in the board of examiners, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil |
| 2017 | EVINCI scientific work evaluation committee, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil |
| 2017 | Participation in the event: Scientific Initiation at UniBrasil, Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil |
Publications
| 2020 |
|
| 2019 |
|
| 2018 |
|
| 2017 |
|
| 2016 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2010 |
|