Os frutos da resistência: sindicalismo e luta dos assalariados da fruticultura irrigada no submédio São Francisco.

Abstract

This project has as its objective to reflect on political actions elaborated by the employees of the irrigated fruit-growing companies within the area of the Sao Francisco Valley. We propose the analysis not only of the dynamics and of the formal actions which relate to the Rural Workers Union, but we consider also the process and the social relations which build beyond its space and formal speech, paying close attention in a sense to political strategies elaborated based on the daily experiences of the employees. Initially, we based our analysis on social-historical projects which enabled and influenced the dynamic production of irrigated fruit-growing, attending to the specifics of work relations linked to a production purposeful to the international market. In this matter, we observed that the work dynamics are based upon a model that prevails an elevated degree of specialization, control, intensity, and is characterized by the seasonality. Further more, we observe how such procedures inform and present possibilities for the political strategies which are presented by the employees. Thereof, the main reflections of such thesis are based on the daily resistance manners being those explicit or concealed, institutionalized or not. We seek to analyse actions such as strategies to tie services, bob inspections, and even actions more institutionalized within the trade union; such as collective negotiation of labor manners and strikes. We also take into consideration that such actions mutually trade information, articulate, and present possibilities so much for the political union as for the empowerment and recognition of rights for the employees. We've adopted a methodology of qualitative analysis, giving emphasis to the documents accessed within the libraries of the unions, also within printed news paper articles and virtual spaces. Besides these, we conducted semi-structured interviews with employees, directors, delegates, and union workers, as well as field work.