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Work, Precarity, and Justice (TrabJus)

Presentation

The Collective Research Project "Work, Precarity, and Justice" (TrabJus), developed within the research line "Individuality, Solidarity, Law" of the Francisco Suárez Center for Advanced Studies (CEAD), is being funded by the "Fazer +" Science and Pedagogical Innovation Incentive Program of the Lusófona Group. The project is expected to last 18 months, having started on October 1, 2021. Coordinated by Dr. António Monteiro Fernandes and Dr. Carolina de Freitas e Silva, it involves students from Master's and Doctoral programs, early-career PhD researchers, and a visiting researcher.

This research project aims to explore three major thematic axes that revolve around precarity, work, and work justice in an interdisciplinary and multifaceted manner.

In the first thematic axis, the researchers will focus on the theory and judicial practice related to combating work precarity, particularly the phenomenon of hiring false service providers. The goal here is to identify the virtues of the Portuguese legal regime, as well as its limitations and possible shortcomings, contributing both de lege ferenda and de iure condito to advancing the state of the art. Although primarily a legal research project, it has an interdisciplinary nature, which is strongly emphasized in the second thematic axis. This axis intends to draw on research methodologies from other social sciences and philosophy to establish some theoretical benchmarks for an adequate and just model of work relations, compatible with the objectives of the UN's 2030 Agenda, specifically the goals of decent work with economic growth and the reduction of social inequalities. Finally, the third axis, which revolves around "remote work," is of vital importance to this project, as it aims to explore what telework model would satisfy both the standards of decent work and the economic challenges that have emerged, particularly at a time when working from the employer's establishment may no longer be the norm in certain sectors of economic activity.

Objectives

The foundation of this project, which is clearly multidisciplinary, is based on research into three thematic axes:

  1. The study of the legal theory and practice of combating work precarity through "field" research, involving a significant number of judicial cases from the Labor Courts of the Lisbon, Lisbon North and Lisbon West, Porto, and Porto East districts. This will involve examining, nearly nine years after the entry into force of Law No. 63/2013, the legal issues that have arisen in judicial practice, with the aim of assessing whether Laws No. 55/2017 and No. 107/2019, which amended the initial regime, have effectively addressed the shortcomings of the 2013 law.

  2. The study of certain philosophical, social, legal, and economic aspects, considering two inseparable dimensions of human work: the first based on the idea that work is an economic variable, a production cost, an objective factor to be considered by the entrepreneur in crafting their business strategy; and the second based on the idea that work is an intrinsic and inalienable manifestation of human dignity. These foundations aim to contribute to theoretical reflection on the path that can be taken to fulfill at least two goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

  3. The study of "remote work" from a primarily legal perspective, in light of relevant national and European legislation, but also considering the challenges posed by implementing a mode of work that is considered "sustainable" and that leads to both decent work and work that contributes to economic development.

Lusophone University Researchers

  • António Monteiro Fernandes
  • Carolina de Freitas e Silva
  • Sérgio Coimbra Henriques
  • Marlene Ferreira Mendes
  • José Gonçalves Machado
  • Rui do Carmo Oliveira
  • Paulo Jesus Prata
  • Bruno Alexandre Dinis Ferreira
  • Sara Alexandra Martins Casimiro
  • Diana Isabel Duarte de Jesus
  • Isabel Comte
  • Patrícia de Holanda Barros
  • Tiago Ferreira Morais

Visiting Researcher

  • António Luís Silva Baptista – University of Minho

For the Development of Software for Fieldwork

Undergraduate Students in Computer Engineering at Lusophone University:

  • Thiago Pereira
  • Tomás Maia

Under the supervision of Professor Pedro Alves, Ph.D., from the Department of Computer Engineering and Information Systems at Lusophone University.

Timeline of Activities and Results

1st Thematic Axis:

  • Start of fieldwork: October 2021
  • End of fieldwork: April 2022
  • Data processing: May 2022
  • Organization of a conference cycle to present preliminary results: May 2022
  • Submission of articles for publication (in international peer-reviewed journals) based on the fieldwork: July 2022.

2nd and 3rd Thematic Axes:

  • Submission of articles for publication (in international peer-reviewed journals) by all researchers: December 2022
  • Organization of a conference cycle to present the final results: [missing date].

Contacts