Teaching work in the private sector of higher education and labor reform: Destruction of rights and precarious life

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present and debate the implications of the so-called Labor Reform (Law n° 13.467/2017) for teaching work in private higher education institutions (HEIs). It is important to emphasize that, in the Brazilian case, the impacts of this Reform need to be analyzed in the context of the process of commercialization, entrepreneurship and privatization of higher education, which is expressed in many ways, but here analyzed through the prism of the formation of large educational conglomerates and financialization, articulating a movement of concentration and centralization of capital and financialization of the sector, with the opening of capital, presence of investment funds and international educational services companies, with broad support in a political-legal framework and sustainable public policies by the state in a country with immense social and educational inequalities. For this text, was used bibliographic research and documentary research, with consultation with the Federal Senate law bank, and also with secondary sources, such as news and information from the Teachers Union of São Paulo (SINPRO-SP), and employers' unions, such as the Brazilian Association of Higher Education Matters (ABMES) and the Forum of Representatives of Private Higher Education (FERESP). Based on a critical analysis, it was concluded that the Labor Reform not only met the interests of the private sector in terms of precariousness and flexibility of labor relations - and the conditions of existence of these workers -, but was still the object of appreciation by entrepreneurs this sector and its experts prior to its legislative referral, demonstrating their support.