As trabalhadoras em facções na cidade de Ervália (MG): subcontratação e trabalho a domicílio

Abstract

This study analyzed perceptions of subcontracted and home-based work performed by women in the garment sector in Ervália. This type of work is referred to as “facção” in Ervália; “facção” refers to production units outside garment factories where work is specialized to a single stage of production. The term “facção” derives from piecework—repetitive and specialized labor focused on a single stage of production, in the Fordist mold. The use of the term “facção” in Ervália is emic. Subcontracting is a structural element in the garment sector, intensified by processes of productive restructuring and labor flexibilization. The case study method was used, employing semi-structured interviews with the “snowball” technique (Bogdan and Biklen, 2003), in which one interviewee refers another, and so on, until qualitative saturation is achieved (Minayo, 2017). Based on this, 10 interviews were conducted. The research demonstrated that the hypothesis—that for these workers, who form the basis of garment production and constitute its most vulnerable segment, this work represents an important financial resource, in addition to the possibility of combining it with social reproduction and care work—is true. Furthermore, the workers view their work positively, as it is also intertwined with rural activities, highlighting that the boundaries between rural and urban areas are fluid for these workers.