Labor Policy in São Paulo and the Federal Policies of Population Displacement of the First Vargas Government

Gradual Process of Adequacy

Abstract

This text deals with the labor policy carried out by the first Vargas Government, establishing relations between the policies of the federal scope and those implemented by the State of São Paulo. The objective is to show how the policy and institutional structure related to the recruitment of workers in São Paulo responded to federal policies, which was part of Vargas’ project for inward-looking development and integration of the internal market and the role it plays the population displacement in this. The aim is also to show that the central government intended to control the labor market
in order to ensure its equilibrium and that these intentions impacted São Paulo’s labor policy. The highlight at the federal level were Decree-Law no. 406 of May 4, 1938 and Decree no. 3,010 of August 20, 1938. With its implementation, the State of São Paulo,
whose labor policy gradually adjusted to the central policy, while still maintaining some autonomy, had to adjust its institutions on the subject, creating the Inspetoria dos Trabalhadores Migrantes (Inspectorate for Migrant Workers) and demobilizing private companies operating in the business of regimentation and transportation of Brazilian workers.