Trabalho escravo contemporâneo na construção civil em João Pessoa : uma análise crítica a partir do crescimento imobiliário da capital paraibana (2015-2025)

Abstract

This study originated from a concern regarding the fight against contemporary slave labor. Its general objective was to investigate the extent to which cases of contemporary slavery in the civil construction sector of João Pessoa are linked to the real estate growth experienced by the capital of Paraíba over the last decade. To this end, specific objectives were established: to present the impacts of coloniality and the racial division of labor on modern labor relations—including contemporary human rights violations associated with slave labor; to characterize the profile of workers rescued from conditions of contemporary slavery in João Pessoa’s civil construction sector between 2015 and 2025 (analyzing factors such as origin, race, gender, and education level); and to investigate which economic sectors are most implicated in cases of contemporary slave labor in Paraíba, with a focus on the civil construction industry. Methodologically, the study employed qualitative, documentary, and exploratory research, conducted as a literature review using content analysis with thematic categorization. The research qualitatively assessed data provided by Smartlab and published accounts from labor prosecutors, testing the hypothesis that real estate growth in the greater João Pessoa area masks an expansion of contemporary slave labor exploitation. Throughout the study, conceptual divergences surrounding the topic were analyzed, examining the links between the racial division of labor, coloniality, and the characterization of labor under conditions of contemporary enslavement, while also presenting relevant legal frameworks and public policies regarding human rights in Brazil. Furthermore, to deepen the analysis, the study examined the urban growth of the capital of Paraíba and its repercussions on labor within the civil construction sector. Finally, this research addressed the hidden side of luxury, leisure, and profit within the real estate expansion of the Greater João Pessoa area between 2015 and 2025, presenting a critical analysis of the subject based on data published by Smartlab and the Public Prosecutor's Office for Labor Affairs in Paraíba.