THE LAW 13,467/2017 (LABOR REFORM) AS A FACILITATING TOOL FOR MODERN SLAVERY AT WORK

Abstract

This article aims to identify the main changes brought about by the Labor Reform and their potential implications in the fight against modern slavery. Specific objectives include presenting Law No. 13,467/2017 and its legal provisions, defining modern slavery within the scope of Brazilian law, and analyzing how the flexibilization of labor rights promoted by Law No. 13,467/2017 may contribute to an increase in modern slavery occurrences in Brazil. To achieve these objectives, a hypothetical-deductive research method is adopted. It is noted that the flexibilization of labor laws resulting from the 2017 implemented Reform, while intending to dynamize the labor market, can inadvertently create an environment conducive to the precarization of working conditions. By loosening the rules for hiring and firing, as well as allowing indiscriminate outsourcing, there is a tendency to reduce the rights and guarantees of workers. This precarization, in turn, can potentially lead to alarming situations of work akin to modern slavery. The absence of a robust regulatory framework and the pressure for profit maximization can lead employers to subject workers to exhaustive hours, meager wages, and deplorable working conditions, reflecting a grim reality reminiscent of exploitative practices of the past. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a critical analysis of the consequences of labor law flexibilization resulting from the Labor Reform, aiming to preserve the fundamental rights of workers and prevent the resurgence of contemporary forms of modern slavery.