TRADE UNIONISM OF THE ABC DURING THE LULA ERA: CONTRADICTION AND RESISTANCE

Abstract Since the political confrontation and strikes during the 1964 Brazilian military dictatorship, the metalworker trade unionism of the ABC has created viable conditions of defending its economic demands in the public sphere, and at the same time has become a political force in Brazil. The election of Lula in 2002 and his permanence in this position for eight years (2003-2010) were the confirmation of the political strength of this trade unionism, which established new parameters and influenced in the organization of the workers in the country. Based on statistical data collection on work and employment in the ABC region, this paper seeks to determine an association between the economic and political context of the Lula/Dilma period and the strategies of the metalworkers trade union, taking into account its clear political relationship with the Brazilian Workers´ Party, especially with a worker president. The objective is to evaluate, as a result of this relationship, the existence of advancements or regressions in the union’s struggles for better wages, new job opportunities, approximating themselves to civil society, and its attempt to interfere in the debate about regional development strategies.