Structural Action and Decent Work in the 14th Region (Rondonia and Acre): Practices of the Public Labor Prosecution Office (MPT) and the Need for Institutionalization for Traditional Peoples and Communities (TPCs)
Decent Work; Structural Enforcement; Public Labor Prosecution Office; Traditional Peoples and Communities; Western Amazon.
The promotion of decent work in the Western Amazon, specifically in Rondonia and Acre, presents itself as a multifaceted challenge, marked by the prevalence of exploitative practices rooted in colonial logic. This study analyzes the performance of the Public Labor Prosecution Office (MPT) of the 14th Region (PRT14) in addressing these challenges, from a perspective that seeks to transcend conventional Eurocentric development models. The research, qualitative and descriptive in nature, is based on documentary analysis of legislation, studies, and concrete cases from PRT14. It is evident that, despite accentuated institutional challenges such as high member turnover and resource scarcity in the face of the vast territorial extension and complexity of demands, PRT14 has developed promising structural enforcement practices. These practices include promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, sectoral action during the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring administrative contracts, defending recyclable material collectors in Vila Princesa, as well as the "Strategic Labor Litigation" project and protecting labor in the face of climate change. However, the absence of a fixed and perennial structural enforcement specifically aimed at Traditional Peoples and Communities (PCTs), contrasts with the specific vulnerabilities of these groups, who are disproportionately impacted. Given this, the central proposal is the institutionalization of a Special Office dedicated to PCTs within PRT14, in accordance with CSMPT Resolution No. 230/2025. This institutionalization, inspired by the success of models such as the Special Labor Action Groups (GAETs) which, even in the face of member turnover, have demonstrated the capacity to promote long-term actions and greater continuity within PRT14, aims to mitigate the effects of member turnover and consolidate a new paradigm for MPT action, strengthening its role as a transformative agent in promoting social and labor justice in the Western Amazon, with a focused, continuous, and culturally appropriate approach, and mechanisms for active search and qualified listening to the demands of PCTs, valuing their knowledge and practices.