CLT - Leis trabalhistas reform

The Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) emerged as a constitutional necessity following the establishment of the Labor Court in 1939. At that time, Brazil was undergoing significant economic development, transitioning from an agrarian to an industrial economy. In January 1942, President Getúlio Vargas and Minister of Labor and Employment Alexandre Marcondes Filho began initial discussions regarding the need for a comprehensive consolidation of labor laws. The original intention was to create the "Consolidation of Labor Laws and Social Security." Its primary objective is to regulate both individual and collective labor relations. The CLT was officially signed in the packed Estádio de São Januário during a celebratory event.

A number of distinguished jurists were invited to participate in this initiative, including José de Segadas Viana, Oscar Saraiva, Luís Augusto Rego Monteiro, Dorval Marcenal de Lacerda, and Arnaldo Lopes Süssekind. During the inaugural meeting, it was decided that the commission would be divided into sections focusing on Labor and Social Security, resulting in the creation of two distinct consolidations. The foundational sources for the CLT included resolutions from the 1st Brazilian Congress on Social Law held in May 1941 in São Paulo, organized by Professor Antônio Ferreira Cesarino Júnior and lawyer Rui de Azevedo Sodré; international labor conventions; the encyclical Rerum Novarum; and legal opinions from consultants Oliveira Viana and Oscar Saraiva, which were approved by the Minister of Labor.

In November 1942, a preliminary draft of the CLT was submitted and subsequently published in the Official Gazette to gather public suggestions. After reviewing the proposed project, Getúlio Vargas appointed co-authors to analyze these suggestions and prepare a final draft, which was signed into law on May 1, 1943. This final version did not replace the text published in the Official Gazette on August 9 of the same year.

Subsequent reforms have been a topic of ongoing debate aimed at promoting flexibility within the CLT. Since its inception in 1943, the body of articles has undergone 497 amendments, alongside 67 constitutional provisions from 1988 incorporated within it.

Numerous reform proposals have emerged, including Portaria n.° 20 from September 13, 2001, which introduced new topics to the original text. This regulation prohibited individuals under 18 from participating in certain hazardous professions listed in Annex I, such as tool sharpening, construction work, and handling dangerous chemicals.

Another significant reform was proposed through Constitutional Amendment n° 66/2012, which granted domestic workers enhanced labor rights, aligning their benefits with those of other workers. All these efforts aim to improve the framework established by the CLT.

In 2013, the CLT celebrated its 70th anniversary.

On November 11, 2017, multiple changes were implemented to the CLT as part of labor reform during Michel Temer's administration. Key additions included regulations on intermittent work, prioritization of agreements over legislation, and an expansion of outsourcing practices.