ILPC 2026

This presentation derives from ongoing research regarding the evolving development of Argentina’s Brick Workers’ Union (UOLRA) since its intervention in December of 2012 by the Ministry of Labour Employment and Social Security (MTEySS). The UOLRA’s intervention was a watershed, as formerly, the production of clay bricks was mostly an unknown activity, despite its relative importance in the construction sector value chain. For the purpose of this presentation we focus on examining how the production of artisanal bricks has traditionally been organized in Argentina, as well as in several countries of the region, and how traditional working conditions, process, and context greatly impacts worker health.

A key element that distinguishes the intervention approach chosen by the UOLRA in the artisanal brick sector is the focus of its work programme on worker dignity. For this reason, the UOLRA focuses action not only on salaried workers, but also on small independent producers, promoting associative bonds amongst workers and in these productive units. This approach implies a profound renewal of trade union traditions by extending the field of representation, and at the same time implies the development of differentiated policies based on contractual relationships.

The UOLRA began an arduous organizational task in the sector, responding to severe working conditions prevailing at traditional kiln sites, in which workers -in addition to not being registered and facing discrimination due to their largely immigrant background-, are exposed to different occupational hazards and illnesses. Amongst these, injuries include those resulting from handling heavy loads and performing repetitive tasks and physical movements; while illnesses typically involve respiratory problems due to exposure to toxic gases from brick firing; skin conditions are also prevalent in the sector, due to the lack of worker safety considerations from exposure to biological hazards.

In this context, and considering the many difficulties faced by artisanal brick kiln workers, the UOLRA has begun to focus on the need to promote changes to the productive processes with a view to bring about improvements to working conditions. Through participation in international forums that promote technological reforms to brick production processes, mostly geared to achieve environmental and economic efficiency gains, the UOLRA has gained valuable training and experience and has subsequently developed local proposals to promote technological changes to existing production processes and technologies in Argentina and across the region, aimed at achieving environmental efficiency gains,  as well as improvements to basic working conditions.

It is in this integral approach to addressing present problems of the artisanal brick production sector, that the UOLRA is proposing the creation brick kiln industrial parks, to be developed in partnership with select provinces and municipalities of Argentina.