Analysis of the trajectory of social control in occupational health in the state of Rio de Janeiro

No presente estudo foi realizada uma an??lise da atua????o do controle social em sa??de do trabalhador no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, sobretudo, a partir da sua participa????o no Conselho Estadual de Sa??de do Trabalhador. Reconstituiu-se a trajet??ria e as experi??ncias consideradas mais significativas desse conselho, enquanto estrat??gia facilitadora da gest??o democr??tica na defini????o e desenvolvimento das pol??ticas de sa??de do trabalhador no Estado. Coletaram-se informa????es nos registros e documentos existentes na Secretaria de Estado de Sa??de a esse respeito e foram realizadas entrevistas com os gestores do Programa de Sa??de do Trabalhador desse per??odo e com alguns representantes do movimento sindical que participaram do Conselho. Na an??lise dessas informa????es constataram-se algumas particularidades dessa inst??ncia, cuja cria????o foi produto da mobiliza????o de diversos profissionais de sa??de, pesquisadores, t??cnicos de institui????es p??blicas e representa????es sindicais mais combativas do estado na perspectiva de encontrar respostas para os problemas da ??rea. A articula????o desses atores sociais, diante de uma conjuntura pol??tica favor??vel, possibilitou progressos importantes em termos de melhoria das condi????es de trabalho, de implanta????o de mudan??as tecnol??gicas nas empresas e avan??os na legisla????o em setores como os da ind??stria naval, qu??mica, petroqu??mica, sider??rgica e metal??rgica. Conclui-se que o Conselho Estadual de Sa??de do Trabalhador do Estado do Rio de Janeiro representou experi??ncia marcante como refer??ncia nacional de participa????o social no planejamento, gest??o e desenvolvimento de pol??ticas p??blicas de sa??de do trabalhador.In the present study, the social control role at worker???s health in Rio de Janeiro was analyzed, above all, from his participation in the Worker???s Health County Council. The trajectory and the experiences regarded as more significant of this council were reconstituted, and considered as strategy facilitator of the democratic management in the definition and development of the Worker???s Health policies in the county. Information was collected in the records and documents existing in the Health State Bureau relating to the council procedures and interviews were performed with managers of the Worker???s Health Program and some syndicate actors who take part of the council. In the analysis of that information, there were some particularities of this institution, whose foundation was the product of the mobilization of various health professionals, researches, technicians of public institutions and syndicates representations more combative of the county in the perspective to search for solutions to problems of the area. The articulation of these social actors, in face of a favorable political conjuncture, enabled important progresses in terms of improvement of working conditions, implementation of technological changes in companies and advances in legislation in sectors such as shipbuilding, chemical, petrochemical, steel mill and metallurgy. We conclude that the Worker???s Health County Council of Rio de Janeiro State was a remarkable experience as a national reference of the social participation in the planning, management and development of public policies in worker???s health