Oleiros da vida: Trabalho, ambiente e o futuro dos trabalhadores do barro em Iranduba (AM)

Abstract

The ceramic industry has a prominent position in the economy of the Iranduba municipality, it’s have also socio-economic relevance to the Amazonas State. This industry generate financial income, jobs and produce fundamental products for the civil construction. This investigation presents and discusses the main social and environmental impacts of the ceramic industry, on the basis of the reality of potter’s workers of Iranduba. The objective of the thesis is to analyze the organization of work potter, considering the origin and development, the consequences for the environment, as well as the social life and the future of workers. The approach is quantitative and qualitative. For the construction of the text, was used the bibliographical research, documentary research and field research. The field research was developed in two periods: the first executed in the Iranduba at the ceramics industries; the second occurred in the Manaus city, in the governmental institutions that intervenes in the regulation of clay and wood. To collect informations we use semi-structured form and interview script. The form with open and closed questions was applied to formal and informal workers in the ceramics industries. The purpose was to understand their working and living conditions, their thoughts about the environmental damage and its vision about the future. The interviews were conducted with owners of ceramics industries, with wood workers, with representatives of workers, employers and the State organizations. For each subjective was prepared a script for interview according to the purpose of the thesis. We use also the participant observation that enabled the approximation with the subjects. Also, we took pictures and did notes in the field notebook, who contributed in the preparation of the text. The research revealed the emergence and the development of ceramic industry in Iranduba, the phases of the production process, the precarious working conditions, the difficulty living conditions of the workers, the contradictions experienced by the owners of ceramic industry, as well as the access and use of clay and wood and environmental damage.